The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, met on February 4th, during his Official Visit to the Czech Republic, with members of the Eastern Europe Regional Hub of the Portuguese Diaspora Council, representatives of the Conselho das Comunidades Portuguesas, and Portuguese researchers and academics working in the Czech Republic. During the meeting, members of the Portuguese Diaspora Council addressed various relevant topics to the Portuguese community, with particular emphasis on some current proposals and challenges.

Among the topics discussed was the presentation of a proposal for the adoption in Portugal of legislation on the exchange of economic information and the creation and operation of credit agencies, based on a successful model implemented in Poland. The aim of this measure is to effectively combat payment delays in commercial transactions.

Another important issue addressed was the idea of implementing a unified higher education application system in Portugal, inspired by successful models in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States of America. The proposal envisions centralizing all application processes, including entry requirements, high school equivalency, and the availability of a multilingual portal, making the system more accessible and efficient for students.

The growing presence of Portuguese citizens in European Union institutions, particularly in senior management positions, was also discussed, along with the potential consequences of this representation for the legitimacy and representativeness of the Portuguese community.

Finally, the challenges faced by rural communities heavily dependent on agricultural exploitation were addressed, particularly in the context of increasing restrictions on agricultural production within the European Union in a global and highly competitive market.