″Portugal does not know us. The country is not worried about those who live abroad″
Natalie or Natalia?
My parents wanted and registered my name on the birth certificate: Nathalie. What happened is that until 1983 as children, daughters of Portuguese parents, who are not foreigners, like me in France, when they register at the consulate, they cannot have the name of the country at all, which was on the birth certificate. Everything had to be translated into Portuguese.
That’s why Natalia is on her file in Parliament.
For now, yes. I still asked the services here if Nathalie Oliveira could show up, but she said no, it couldn’t be. I have to sort this out at the conservatory. Did you know that there are thousands and thousands of second generation Portuguese with this problem? People whose name they translated? This is one of the things that I would like to see resolved, that the law was changed and that the procedures to keep the birth name allowed by law because they are very expensive. And that doesn’t make sense. From childhood until now my birth name, the one on the birth certificate, has always been Nathalie. But with translation on the citizen’s card is Natalia. We have to change the law and make free procedures free because it is expensive.
Why are you a member of the two PS, the French and the Portuguese?
My relationship with the history and cause of the Portuguese abroad preceded the affiliation of the parties, to the French PS and to the Portuguese PS. And this despite the fact that my house has always been fascinated by Mário Soares, one of the great political figures who brought freedom to Portugal. The first invitation I received from Portugal was still mandated by José Cesário [então secretário de Estado das Comunidades Portuguesas], in 2003, to participate in a meeting, on the platform of Luso-descendants, in Lisbon. I joined the French PS when she arrived at Sególène Royal, I had already worked with them in 2004, but it was when she arrived that she started this story with the French PS. and I adjunct [do presidente da câmara] with the victory in the municipal elections, in 2007, the first time in 200 years that Metz, a democratic Christian land, a land of the right, changed to the PS. And there were two mandates: from 2008 to 2020.
And now, here?
Physically it was a tsunami. It was an emotion the size of the world, not just Europe. This is a big challenge. I felt the weight of the stones, of the story, I thought of my father. I drew a parallel between his walk and mine. It is a form of conciliation, a way of continuing to write history, but in an institutional way. Being here is the realization of a dream, the realization of my belonging to the European ideal. My father is very typical of the men of jumping and of a life built in France, but with such a strong connection to the country. And for me to be here, now, representing this generation today and as second and third generations is a source of pride. But if I got in here it was because of the second generation and a much more recent change that we made more than we thought. Honestly I thought the voting level was good, I was hoping for a good vote for PS. I went looking for the second generation. I knew the difference could be there. And it was.
What is your big obligation?
My most important role is to reconcile, to reconcile because, in fact, Portugal does not know us. Portuguese society, the one that never left the country, has a very vague knowledge of the history of emigration that is very dramatic. Portugal does not know us. I feel that he is not concerned about those who live abroad, feel what this country describes. It is my duty, in addition to democratic representation, to guarantee the rights of the second and third generation.
And that is?
It’s about securing the future. My political role is, in addition to telling this story, to link who is in and who is out, to try to change a law, in particular the issue of electoral law.
Change what in the electoral law?
Postal voting needs to be improved. The security of this vote could be improved. The important thing is to standardize the voting modalities, to harmonize the vote. And it had to be everything: in person, by correspondence and electronic voting. And in all discoveries. I believe that Portugal is in a position to be avant-garde and not be afraid to make rapid progress in this area. In fact, I feel that there is political will to change this law.
The law changes, but what will Portuguese teaching lose? Doesn’t that take away the bond you so much defend?
Portuguese will be lost, yes. Portuguese cannot be taught only in schools. of digitalized education we need, we need associations to expand access to Portuguese teaching, especially to reach the third generation. I’ve only been in school for four years of teaching and then never Portuguese again. I had English, Spanish, Italian, I learned a lot of Romanian, but I never had Portuguese again.