Empresários portugueses e a “causa europeia” : interesses e ideologias, consensos e dissensos

Abstract

This study aims at analyzing different stances taken by Portuguese entrepreneurs involving Portugal’s admittance to the European Economic Community – EEC. Two dates are selected for this end, namely, April 25, 1974, that marks the fall of the Salazar- Caetano regime, and January, 1986 that indicates Portugal’s entrance to EEC. Ideological stances and political behavior shown by entrepreneurs huddled together under two major Portuguese entities were considered in the empirical analysis: Confederação da Indústria Portuguesa (CIP) and Associação Industrial Portuguesa (AIP). The investigation is an attempt to build up the explanatory links involving idiosyncrasies of each one by means of a comparative examination of their trajectories and historical circumstances of a sociopolitical and economic nature.