Perhaps only in countries dependent on billions of euros of grant income could there be a €20,000 dinner to celebrate spending all the money.
Paulo Portas, pictured below, lacking any serious portfolio as deputy prime minister, allied himself temporarily to agriculture when he felt some of the EU-fuelled glory surely must shine on his wise head.
The good news is that Portugal’s farmers managed to apply for and receive €4.7 billion in aid by 8 June this year, thus exhausting funds in the Rural Development Programme six months before its deadline.
"This is indeed an historic day for agricultural policy in Portugal," said Paulo Portas, intent on celebrating the "€4,700 million investment in agriculture," funded by the European Community with a small national contribution.
Portas, assuming the role of the agricultural minister, said that this is the first time the goal (of spending all of someone else’s money) has been achieved for agriculture in Portugal, and will benefit "31,000 agricultural projects, of which 10,500 are for the modernisation of farms, with a further €1,400 million for the processing and marketing of products and Portuguese brands.”
Paulo Portas said this investment has allowed "the creation of 45,000 jobs.”
"The PRODER programme started late and badly " but "ended well and efficiently," said Portas, recalling that in 2011 the programme uptake was risible 30% of the available money leading to shame and accusation that Portugal was not really trying hard enough.
Portugal "has come from being the worst country" in implementing the programme “to one up there on the podium as a leading country in the application of Community funds that allows us to invest in agriculture, creating wealth, correct the agri-food deficit in our rural areas, and making exports contribute to the country's recovery," said the deputy PM, flushed with the success of others.
Portas was wimbling on in Santarém at a well-stocked celebratory dinner for the PRODER programme attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Assunção Cristas, Finanças 'Teflon Man' Paulo Nuncio and three hundred members of those various agricultural organisations and agencies overseen by her ministry which have proved so adept at accessing grants on behalf of their members.
Nobody would admit to the press the total bill or which organisation was paying the estimated €20,000 cost. Another of life's mysteries on Planet Portugal... Salud!
