Just when it was needed most, and in a consistent pattern that has established him as one of the foremost game-changing historical figures of our times, Antonio Costa has once again showed that pragmatic, visionary leadership is not entirely extinguished in our battered and beleaguered world. Taking centre-stage at all this past week’s ceremonies for what is being billed (somewhat tediously) as “the mother of all deals”, with the potential to create a flourishing free trade zone encompassing over two billion people, it was the former Prime Minister of Portugal and reigning President of the European Council who made the vital difference, and seized the day in both style and substance. The jubilation you can see in the photo on this page is very real, and richly deserved.
“I am the President of the European Council but I am also an overseas Indian citizen,” said Costa, in an electrifying moment to open his speech celebrating the long-awaited accords this past Tuesday. Then, to sustained applause, he pulled out the OCI card that Modi had personally handed over in Lisbon in 2017 during the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister to Portugal. With palpable sincerity he continued, “as you can imagine, for me [today] has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from. The connection between Europe and India is something personal to me. Our summit sends a clear message to the world: at a time when the global order is being fundamentally reshaped, the European Union and India stand together as strategic and reliable partners. Today, we are taking our partnership to the next level [and] as the two largest democracies in the world, we are working hand in hand.”
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All this — of course, and as everyone can plainly see — is an eloquent and powerful repudiation to the gangster geopolitics that have shaken up the world order so thoroughly in the ascendance of Trump et al. But it is also the exact opposite of what the power-hungry right wing in both India and Portugal would like you to believe, not to mention the even more scurrilous politicians of Goa. On the one hand, Costa represents cosmopolitanism, and the best potential of our inherently many-layered identities, embodying what Bakhtin would call “the munisphon of the profound native humanism of the Konkani.” And by the mere act of being himself, this massively proud bridge figure exposes small-minded provincialism for the spent force it will assuredly prove to be in the end. Make no mistake, that is precisely what happened in New Delhi last week.
Here is what Amcho Babush (the first word means “ours” in Konkani, and the second is his affectionate family pet name) said in the rest of his address: “I would like to share three messages. First: the European Union and India must work together towards our shared prosperity and security. India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy. Trade has flowed between our two continents for centuries. Trade is a crucial geopolitical stabiliser and a fundamental source of economic growth. Trade agreements reinforce rules-based economic order and promote shared prosperity. That’s why today’s Free Trade Agreement is of historic importance. One of the most ambitious agreements ever concluded. Creating a market of two billion people. In a multipolar world, the European Union and India are working together to grow spheres of shared prosperity.”
He said “prosperity does not exist without security [and] that is the significance of our agreement on a Security and Defence Partnership. The first such overarching defence and security framework between India and the European Union. And the first step towards even more ambitious cooperation in the future. This brings me to my second message: as the world’s largest democracies and champions of multilateralism, the European Union and India share the responsibility of upholding international law, with the United Nations Charter at its core. Earlier this morning, we had the opportunity to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. And I reflected upon his words which still hold true today: ‘Peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds.’”
The conclusion: “And this is my final message: together we must show leadership on global issues. Cooperation between the European Union and India will help shape a more balanced, resilient, and inclusive global order. Just two examples: I am proud of the commitments we are making for greater cooperation on clean energy, green transition, and climate resilience. And our collaboration through the Global Gateway and on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is decisive for global connectivity. By implementing the ambitious Joint Comprehensive Strategic Agenda towards 2030, we will align our priorities with concrete actions for the next five years: deliver tangible benefits to our citizens. Today, we have tangible progress and set an example of cooperative leadership on global issues. With our Free Trade Agreement; our Security and Defence Partnership; and our Joint Strategic Agenda for 2030. These outcomes are a crucial milestone on a longer path. We look forward to continuing the journey. Together, as always.”
INVITATION
Vivek Menezes
(Vivek Menezes is a writer and co-founder of the Goa Arts and Literature Festival)
