THE EUROPEANIZATION OF PORTUGAL
2010; Routledge; Volume: 12; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/14616691003735514
ISSN1469-8307
Autores Tópico(s)Judicial and Constitutional Studies
ResumoABSTRACT The article aims to explore Portugal's performance in some areas that can be included in a wide concept of Europeanization: the state of the economy, the rule of law, and education. It starts with a brief reference to the evolution of the Portuguese economy since the European accession to conclude that with the adoption of the single currency Portugal entered into a phase of clear economic divergence, making it an exception within the EU. Section 2 is devoted to the rule of law. It highlights how a modern and updated legal system can have an outcome that threatens some basic foundations of the rule of law, and can also contribute to increasing social inequality. The last section focuses on some problems affecting education. Particular attention is drawn to the performance of the secondary education system and to issues related to the quality of higher education institutions. Keywords: PortugalEuropeanizationrule of laweconomic divergenceeducation Notes 1‘The overwhelming majority of the Portuguese (92 percent) considered the economic situation of the country to be bad, and an even higher proportion (95 percent) expressed an identical opinion with regard to the domestic employment situation. In comparative terms, the Portuguese stand out considerably from the European average’. Eurobarometer (Citation2008: 2). 2It is interesting to note that when asked whether your country would have been better protected in face of the current financial and economic crisis if it had kept the former currency, Portuguese were those that clearly delivered the highest positive answer within the Euro area, with 62 percent (Euro zone average, 45 percent) (Eurobarometer Citation2009: 37). 3According to Mauro and Forster, Portugal is considered to be at the bottom of the ranking of competitiveness indicators within the Euro area because of its geographical situation, technological disadvantages and the high entry costs in new economic sectors (Citation2008: 37–8). 4On political courts and political trials during the dictatorship, see Rosas (Citation2009). 5As it is referred by Santos and Gomes, the vast majority of cases brought to court come from the so-called mass criminality, i.e., lower and medium criminal acts such as driving without a license or drunk driving (2002: 189). 6A comparative analysis on judges' productivity can be found in Santos and Gomes (2005: 509–21). 7On judges and prosecutors' recruitment and training systems, see Santos, Gomes and Pedroso (Citation2001: 48–61). 8For instance, as far as the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention is concerned, Portugal was included in the group of countries that provided little or no enforcement of the same Convention. See Transparency International (Citation2009: 10–13). 9Gabinete de Planeamento, Estratégia, Avaliação e Relações Internacionais do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior. Available at: http://www.estatisticas.gpeari.mctes.pt/archive/doc/AlunosVagasDiplomados020708_capinscritosvf.pdf 10Public expenditure on education, as a percentage of total public expenditure, rose from 11.7 in 1995 to 12.6 in the year 2000. As a percentage of the GDP, public expenditure on education represented 5.1 percent in 1995, and 5.4 percent in the year 2000 (OECD 2008a: 262). 11The typical age group corresponds to the most common age at the end of the last school/academic year of the corresponding level and the program in which the degree is obtained (OECD 2008b: 66). 12In the EU 78 percent of people aged 20–24 completed upper secondary education. In the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia this proportion rises to 90 percent. Only Malta (54.7 percent) and Portugal (53.4 percent) have a qualification rate of less than 60 percent (European Commission Citation2009b: 243). 13However, the Government's strategy to upgrade competences, the so-called Novas Oportunidades program, should be noted. The first results are encouraging with an increase of young people enrolled in technical and professional courses at the secondary level, and strong demand of adults for lifelong learning (OECD 2008a: 11). 14OECD (2008b: 43). 15Gabinete de Planeamento, Estratégia, Avaliação e Relações Internacionais do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior. Available at: http://www.estatisticas.gpeari.mctes.pt/archive/doc/AlunosVagasDiplomados020708_capinscritosvf.pdf 16Available at: http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008_E(EN).htm 17Lisbon University and the University of Porto, the only ones mentioned by the Shanghai ranking, are in the position 169–210 of the regional rank (Europe).See: http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/ARWU2008_E(EN).htm 18The law was first approved in 1980. Although the 2009 amendment law foresees that academic career starts at the level of assistant professor, it allows current teaching assistants to be automatically promoted to assistant professors if they obtain a PhD degree in 5 years. 19See: Gabinete de Planeamento, Estratégia, Avaliação e Relações Internacionais do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior. Available at: http://www.estatisticas.gpeari.mctes.pt/archive/doc/RecProvimento.xls. It is also interesting to note that in 2004 there were 6,945 PhD professors in those 15 public universities, but in 1993 there were just 3,232 PhD professors in those universities. Available at: http://www.estatisticas.gpeari.mctes.pt/archive/doc/Evol93_04Univ.xls 20A new law on university governance was adopted in 2007, and it has gradually been implemented in the universities' and schools' statutes. It establishes the presence of external members, along with a majority of members representing professors, students and workers, on the supervisory boards that elect university rectors and school presidents. The law also strengthens the powers of rectors and school presidents. This is a step forward for good governance in higher education. Nevertheless, it should be noted that even if the law foresees that the selection procedure for rectors and deans should be open to external candidates, these posts have been filled by their former rectors.
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