Before

It is important to understand what happened before the well-known Carnation Revolution. Portugal was under a regime called Estado Novo. The regime was a dictatorship led by António de Oliveira Salazar, prior Minister of Finance, who later became Head of State. Thus, in 1933, the authoritarian regime in Portugal was inspired by the other fascist regimes in Europe. The regime was known for its authoritarian police that limited freedom of expression and reduced democratic processes.

The economic stagnation of the country and the continuity of keeping the colonies in Africa were some of the reasons for discontentment of the Portuguese population. Besides the international pressure to give independence to the colonies, the Portuguese felt injustice with the political repression and by the 70’s, after de Salazar’s death, the regime started to weaken.


In progress

As the State did not want to give independence to the African colonies, the Colonial War was taking place. Thus, there were many young men obligated to go to Angola, Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau to fight back the independent forces in the African continent. The constant deaths and injuries of the Portuguese soldiers were one of the turning points for the military to try to do something about the regime. Then, the Movimento das Forças Armadas (MFA) was created by young soldiers, and a revolution started in its headquarters.

Besides the military, young students were secretly creating left-wing movements and were starting to become more critical about Estado Novo. The socialist and communist ideas were being spread, and the population was slowly understanding that what was being lived in Portugal was not the best.


During

On 25 April 1974, the MFA had everything ready to start the revolution. The military took control of the radio stations. It was 10:55 pm when the radio played E Depois do Adeus, a Paulo Carvalho song that represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest of that year. The song would not make anyone from the regime feel suspicious. But it was at 12:20 am, when Grândola Vila Morena played on the radio, that the population realised that the regime was changing.

The military had imprisoned Marcello Caetano, Salazar’s substitute. While the leader tried to negotiate with the soldiers, the will of the people was stronger than any regime. In the streets of Lisbon, soldiers were marching, peacefully, with carnations on their guns, given by Celeste Caeiro.

Marcello Caetano resigned his political position and Admiral António de Spínola, not part of the MFA, became the Head of State, however promising a more democratic regime.

From the revolution, Salgueiro Maia was one of the most important soldiers of the revolution, being recognised mostly by the Portuguese and often portrayed in films and TV series.


After the revolution

When the revolution was over, Portugal went through various political and social changes. The prior African colonies became independent countries and after some political instability, freedom was established in Portugal when the 1976 Constitution was finally published.

The present

The 25th of April is still celebrated by the Portuguese, who are proud of having in its history a peaceful revolution that abolished a fascist regime. After the revolution, the country opened its doors and became closer to international nations and economies. After the Carnation Revolution, Portugal joined the European Union and established its presence alongside other European countries.

To celebrate this day, yearly, there may be parades in homage to the Carnation Revolution, as well as gatherings and even live shows in various Portuguese cities. Portuguese politicians usually talk at the Assembly about the importance of the day and how younger and older generations must understand how important freedom is to a country.

Credits: Pexels;

The importance of the bank holiday is being perpetuated not only by schools but also by those who lived during the Estado Novo. For the older generations, this day marks the day when oppression was over, and people could finally live happily and comfortably in their own skin. Now, people are free to talk, think and share their thoughts. The press is now free to publish the news according to the facts. The end of the dictatorship gave the Portuguese people a new meaning of life, which the Portuguese want to keep, which is shown by the yearly celebrations of the 25th of April.

In 2025, Portugal will celebrate 51 years of freedom, hoping to have it for another 51 years and beyond.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos