 | |
 France |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of France,Lisbon | Embassy of Portugal,Paris |
France–Portugal relations (French:Relations France-Portugal,Portuguese:Relações França-Portugal) are thecurrent and historical relations between France and Portugal. Both nations are members of theCouncil of Europe,European Union,NATO,Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,Union for the Mediterranean and theUnited Nations.
France and Portugal have a long history of relations given the proximity between both nations.Afonso I of Portugal, thefounding monarch of theKingdom of Portugal, was an agnatic descendant of the FrenchHouse of Burgundy, itself acadet branch of the influentialCapetian dynasty. Both nations would become two of the largest global empires, with both theFrench colonial empire and thePortuguese empire competing against each other in their quest to expand their respective empires. In 1482, the Portuguese navigator and explorerDiogo Cão discovered the mouth of theCongo River inCentral Africa, he became the first European to encounter theKingdom of Kongo withManikongo, the most powerful ruler ofAfrica. In 1495, France and Portugal signed a Treaty of Alliance and Trade, the first between both nations.[1] In 1536, another Treaty of Friendship and Alliance was signed between the countries.[citation needed]
Between 1640 and 1668, France sided with Portugal during thePortuguese Restoration War against Spain. However, during theSeven Years' War, both nations were on opposing sides during the conflict. Both France and Portugal were on opposing sides during theWar of the Spanish Succession and again during theSpanish invasion of Portugal of 1762.[1] In 1641, the first Portuguese embassy was sent to France.
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Relations between France and Portugal came to its lowest point when in 1807, Portugal refused French EmperorNapoleon Bonaparte's demand to accede to theContinental System of embargo against the United Kingdom. Soon afterwards, a brutal French invasion under GeneralJean-Andoche Junot followed, and the Portuguese capital ofLisbon was captured on 8 December 1807, though Portuguese resistance continued. As a result of the impending French invasion, the Portuguesemonarchy transferred its court toRio de Janeiro in Brazil.[2] Rio de Janeiro would remain the capital of Portugal and the empire between 1808 and 1821. Lisbon regained its status as the capital of Portugal when Brazil declared its independence from Portugal in 1822.
British intervention in thePeninsular War helped in maintaining Portuguese independence; the last French troops were expelled in defeat in 1812. The war cost Portugal the town ofOlivença, which is now governed by Spain.[3]
During the 20th century, Portugal and France would forge closer political ties, with France gaining a greater relevance in Portuguese foreign policy issues. DuringWorld War I, Portugal remained neutral, however, in 1916 it became an associated member to theAllied forces (which included France). DuringWorld War II, although Portugal officially remained neutral, Portuguese diplomatAristides de Sousa Mendes, stationed in Nazi-occupied France, defied government orders and issued thousands of visas, helping refugees — many of them Jewish—escape to Portugal and safety.
Between the 1950s and 1970s, nearly a million Portuguese emigrated to France to escape theEstado Novo regime and poverty.[4][5] Relations between France and Portugal remain close. Both nations are members of theEuropean Union and work closely together on numerous issues.
France is host to the largestPortuguese diaspora community in Europe with approximately 1.7 million Portuguese citizens living in France, and making Portugal the largest foreign community in France.[6] Meanwhile, 27,512 French citizens areliving in Portugal in 2022.
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1978 | PresidentValéry Giscard d'Estaing visited Portugal. |
| 1987 | PresidentFrançois Mitterrand visited Portugal. |
| 1999 | PresidentJacques Chirac visited Portugal. |
| 2016 | PresidentFrançois Hollande visited Portugal, where he was received in theBelém Palace by PresidentMarcelo Rebelo de Sousa, with whom he held a meeting. |
| 2021 | Sophie Cluzel, Minister of State for Disabled People, visited Portugal for the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities. Olivier Dussopt, Minister Delegate for Public Accounts, travelled to Portugal as part of preparations for the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. |
| 2022 | The French Minister of Culture,Roselyne Bachelot Narquin, visited Lisbon. PresidentEmmanuel Macron and the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs,Catherine Colonna, visited Lisbon for the United Nations Ocean Conference. Prime MinisterÉlisabeth Borne made an official visit to Lisbon for the closure of the France-Portugal Season accompanied by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Culture. |
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1917 | PresidentBernardino Machado visited France, where he inspected the troops of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps. |
| 1975 | PresidentFrancisco da Costa Gomes visited France. |
| 1979 | PresidentAntónio Ramalho Eanes visited France. |
| 1984 | President António Ramalho Eanes visited the Council of Europe inStrasbourg, France. |
| 1986 | PresidentMário Soares visited France, where he visited the cities of Paris and Strasbourg and gave a speech in the European Parliament. |
| 1989 | President Mário Soares visited Paris for the 2nd centenary of theFrench Revolution, following an invitation from his French Counterpart. |
| 1994 | President Mário Soares visitedBordeaux, where he inaugurated a bust in homage toAristides Sousa Mendes, as well as a plaque that marks the building where the Portuguese Consulate was located at the time. |
| 1996 | PresidentJorge Sampaio visited the Council of Europe in Strasbourg for the 10th anniversary of the accession of Portugal. President Jorge Sampaio visited France, where he met with members of the Portuguese Community in the Region of Paris, and visited the headquarters of UNESCO. |
| 1998 | President Jorge Sampaio visited Paris for the commemorations of the 5th centenary of the Voyage ofVasco da Gama to India. President Jorge Sampaio visited Strasbourg, where he visited the European Court of Human Rights. |
| 2000 | President Jorge Sampaio visited Bordeaux for the inauguration of the "Carrefour des Littératures". |
| 2001 | President Jorge Sampaio visited Paris. |
| 2002 | President Jorge Sampaio visited Paris. |
| 2004 | President Jorge Sampaio visited Paris for the Founding Congress of United Cities and Local Governments. |
| 2005 | President Jorge Sampaio visited France. |
| 2015 | PresidentAníbal Cavaco Silva visited Paris, where he visited the headquarters of the OECD. |
| 2016 | PresidentMarcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited Paris for the commemorations of theDay of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities. |
| 2018 | President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited France for the Commemorations of the Centenary of theBattle of La Lys. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited France for the Commemorations of theCentenary of the Armistice of the First World War. |
| 2022 | President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister,António Costa, and Minister of Maritime Affairs,Ricardo Serrão Santos visited France to participate in theOne Ocean Summit inBrest, and in the opening ceremony of thePortugal-France Season 2022, in Paris. PresidentEmmanuel Macron received the Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, in Paris. The Minister of State for Europe,Laurence Boone, met with her Portuguese counterpart, Tiago Antunes, in Paris. Minister of Foreign Affairs,João Cravinho, visited Paris during the France-Portugal Season, where he was received by Minister for Europe and Foreign AffairsCatherine Colonna. |
In 2021, trade in goods between the two countries amounted to 13.8 billion euros (corresponding to 8.3 billion euros in exports and 5.5 billion euros in imports). In 2021, France consolidated its position as the second destination for Portuguese exports (13.1% of the total), which from the previous year alone grew by €1 billion. More than 5,400 Portuguese companies exported to the country.
In terms of investment, France was the first foreign investor in Portugal in 2021, and the fourth in terms of accumulated stock, with more than €13 billion. Between 2016 and 2020, French investment in Portugal grew by 86%. Around 750 French companies are established in Portugal, with their subsidiaries creating the most added value in the country.
In the tourism sector, France was in 2021 Portugal's second largest market in terms of guests, third in terms of overnight stays and first in terms of revenue (€1.7 billion).
Being an area particularly affected by thepandemic, the tourism sector showed a strong recovery after 2020, with a growth of 60.9% in the number of guests and 61.3% in French overnight stay values. In 2019, before the pandemic, there were 1,623,200 French guests, a number which fell to 725,100 in 2021.[7]
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