Portuguese leader José Sócrates quotes Obama.

Diario Digital, Portugal

Portugal's Leader Quotes Obama

"Yes, we can do it … Yes, we can."

-- Portuguese Prime Minster José Sócrates

Translated By Brandi Miller

February 20, 2008

Portugal - Diario Digital - Original Article (Portuguese)

Prime Minister José Sócrates claimed today his three years in government have left the mark of modernity on the country, and he cited North American candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama, in using the phrase “Yes, we can.”

“Yes, we can do it” and “Yes, we can,” Sócrates said, at a ceremony honoring the three years that the Inov Jovem and Inov Contacto programs have been in place for professional internships for the young.

Instituting the Inov Jovem and Inov Contacto programs were the first decisions taken by the socialist executive, exactly three years after the PS [Socialist Party] gained its first absolute majority in legislative elections.

Speaking at the Parque das Nações [Park of the Nations], during the final session of the Inov Jovem and Inov Contacto programs, José Sócrates said he was “aware” and “impressed” with some of the phrases used in the race for the presidential nomination among North American Democrats.  WORLDMEETS.US

“Some [of the] phrases have impressed me greatly: confidence in the future, energy and ambition,” he said, before citing the campaign slogan of Senator Barack Obama: “Yes, we can. Yes we can do it.”

In a brief summary of his three years in government, the Prime Minister claimed to have left the “mark of modernity” on the country.    WORLDMEETS.US

“A symbolic measure of this, since they reflect the Government's program, were Inov Jovem and Inov Contacto. These programs are major marks of modernity, as they reflect our ambition to have a modern country with innovative and competitive companies, in which the State provides opportunities to people,” he declared.

Sócrates also cited the introduction of English in elementary school, the revision of the law on nationality (he said this helped better integrate immigrants), the system of loans to students of higher education (he calculated that 1700 young students people were covered) and the decriminalization of abortion, as examples of the “measures of modernity” taken by his Government.