It is quite assumed that Portugal needs to relaunch a Strategic Planning Cycle. Without considering the genuineness of the cycle that was followed in 2013, it is clear that the current political and strategic context is very different from what existed then.
This need makes it clear that in Portugal an anomalous view of internal security and external security persists, not treating them as they really are, as two sides of the same coin that are very difficult to separate. Which results, through the 1976 Constitution, in a very unique and reductionist understanding of the role of the Armed Forces in National Security.
The same understanding prevents the elaboration of a Strategic Concept of National Security or, simply, a National Concept, as is widely justified.
The successive versions of the Strategic Concept of National Defense have always paid mandatory attention to the dynamics and regulations of NATO and the EU. In truth, especially from NATO. But it is clear that this relationship must now be reversed, placing the main emphasis on the EU and, given the serious doubts that arise regarding the Atlantic Alliance, assuming that for the 23 countries that make up both organizations, being a good and serious partner in the EU today corresponds to also being a good ally in NATO.
It will be appropriate that, for the first time and giving materiality to the concept of National Defense as a set of military and non-military actions, it is not only in the military structure that a sectoral Strategic Concept is developed. That is, it will be desirable that in all other relevant Departments and based on the general guidelines that the Strategic Concept of National Defense establishes, their own strategic concepts are developed identically. This would greatly help the respective departmental action, the structuring of a truly comprehensive National Defense Policy and would bring Portugal closer to the vision of Total Defense, which so many European countries have recently developed.
In the military domain, by far the most attuned in this matter, it will naturally be necessary to take into account the new contextual circumstances and not lose sight of the fact that the National Forces System is one and that in the light of this unity, re-equipment options must be considered.
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