Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa receives Josep Piqué prize in Galicia and warns of multilateral crisis

Award ceremony in Galicia

Former President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received the 2026 Josep Piqué Prize on Thursday during the opening of the eighth edition of the La Toja Forum in Galicia, Spain. The gathering, held at the Palácio de Congressos on the island of La Toja in the province of Pontevedra, brought together senior Iberian political figures, including King Felipe VI of Spain, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The annual forum was founded in 2019 by Spanish economist and former minister Josep Piqué, who died in 2023, to strengthen Atlantic ties and dialogue between Spain and Portugal. Rebelo de Sousa, who preceded current Portuguese President António José Seguro, noted that receiving the honor alongside the Spanish monarch reflected ongoing fraternal dialogue between the two nations across Europe and the world.

Warning on multilateralism and global governance

In his acceptance speech, Rebelo de Sousa delivered a detailed assessment of the international order, stating that multilateralism had almost died or hibernated over the past six years. He described a period marked by the hollowing out of international institutions, where force is imposed over law, and unilateralism alongside bilateralism has become daily practice. Rebelo de Sousa stated that the United States has weakened its alliance with Europe on multiple occasions, while anti-systemic forces and dictatorships masked as illiberal democracies have multiplied. He warned that competition for control over artificial intelligence risks widening international inequalities, and pointed to upcoming US midterm elections scheduled for 3 November as a decisive moment for global politics. To counter democratic erosion and rising populism, he urged a defense of European spiritual heritage, human dignity, the rule of law, and the social market economy.

Nothing is eternal and empires are not eternal either.

Felipe VI on European cooperation

King Felipe VI praised Rebelo de Sousa for his academic and political career, personal warmth, and communication skills, noting that the former president has returned to schools to lecture adolescents. Speaking under the forum's theme of a world in disorder, the Spanish monarch recalled their joint appearance at La Toja in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, when both leaders called for stronger European integration. Felipe VI argued that the international framework established after the Second World War requires modernization to confront contemporary threats, including hybrid warfare, energy security issues, and technological disruptions. He stressed that Europe must maintain deep ties with the United States while pursuing shared convergence points to ensure international stability and democratic resilience.

Congratulations, dear friend Marcelo.

National team controversy on the sidelines

Upon arriving at the congress venue, Rebelo de Sousa addressed Portuguese reporters regarding the controversy surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo, who departed the national team's training camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday. The forward left the squad following discussions with national coach Jorge Jesus and Pedro Proença after remaining on the bench during Sunday's Nations League fixture against Norway in Oslo. Rebelo de Sousa declined to comment on the internal dispute while abroad, instead urging the country to rally behind the team ahead of its matches against Denmark and Norway. Madeira Regional President Miguel Albuquerque defended Ronaldo, criticizing the Portuguese Football Federation and praising the veteran forward, who holds 234 caps and 146 goals for Portugal.

What should unite us is that we have a national team at a crucial moment. It has to win today, it has to win Sunday. And therefore we must all be together for that to happen.