The cultural discourse of contemporary Portuguese Iberianism

In contemporary times, Iberianism has been one of the most important themes in the relationship between Portugal and Spain. But there are few words as ambiguous in the peninsular history and culture as the word ‘Iberianism’. Aside from traditional political or territorial Iberianism, and often in a critical reaction against it, there exists a less-known cultural, spiritual or civilizational Iberianism, striving for an approximation between the two countries and its peoples that excludes all kinds of state fusion and border suppression, and aims to strengthen the Iberian relationship through unity in diversity, differentiation with complementation, independence with alliance and neighbourhood with friendship. The aim of this article is to explore the cultural discourse of contemporary Portuguese Iberianism, drawing on the reflections produced on the subject by such authors as J. P. de Oliveira Martins, Teixeira de Pascoaes, Fernando Pessoa, António Sardinha, Almada Negreiros, José Saramago, Eduardo Lourenço, Natália Correia and Miguel Torga.