When we joined the single currency, the intention was to grow by improving the competitiveness and productivity of companies and improving society. But the reflection of Portugal's entry into the euro brought successive increases in public and private spending, because it would be the fastest way to have economic growth. The result of this alternative to the lack of monetary mechanisms threw Portuguese society into a very heavy burden of foreign debt. Hence the request for financial assistance in 2011. At the formal end of this period of adjustment, it is important to reflect on the mistakes made to avoid further economic setbacks resulting from the Government's indiscipline in budgetary matters, with consequences for low wages and the quality of employment. In order to consider the dynamics to be adopted to achieve truly sustainable growth over a long period of time, it is imperative to instill in economic agents, starting with students, the reasons for the imbalances that led us to financial collapse about ten years ago.
Speaker
Alexandre Patricio Gouveia
Academic qualifications
Business Management Course at the Catholic University of Lisbon (1977)
Graduate in Business Management from Columbia University in New York (1979-1981)
Professional Activity
1981-1983 | Deputy for Economic Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office
1983-1984 | Deputy of the Office of the Minister of Commerce
1984-1996 | Vice-President of Banco Chemical Portugal, SA
1991-2009 | Founder and administrator of Cidade Expresso SA
1996- | Director of El Corte Inglés Portugal, SA
1996-1998 | Member of the Political Committee of the Lisbon District of the PSD
2001- | President of the Fundação Batalha de Aljubarrota
2013- | Member of the Portugal Global Forum with the Trilateral Commission
2016-2018 | Vice-President of the Francisco Sá Carneiro Institute
2018- | Board of Directors of the Forum for Competitiveness
2018- | SEDES Coordinating Council
Author of the book “The Portuguese Economy in the Euro Zone”, 2016
Department of Economic and Business Sciences