5 Questions with... Carlos Zorrinho
1. WHO HAVE YOU WORKED WITH THAT HAS MOST INSPIRED YOU IN YOUR CAREER, AND HOW?
Henrique Marcelino, former Navy o cer, anti-dictatorship fighter before the Portuguese revolution, professor at the university and advisor to the Computer Institute of the Ministry of Finance in Portugal. He was decisive in the choices and inspiration of my academic and political career. In the early 1990s, he personally decided to leave for the London School of Economics to develop a project called “The Information Era: An opportunity for the third cycle of Portuguese history”. He died before completing the project. One day I asked him whether I should choose a university career or politics. He told me that I would be better o combining the two. I followed his advice and I have never regretted it.
2. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR POLITICAL/LEADERSHIP STYLE IN THREE WORDS?
I always try to shape my political action around three key ideas: purpose, conviction and serenity. Purpose gives meaning to action and helps me to mobilise teams and activate the necessary networks and resources to achieve objectives. Conviction enables me to overcome obstacles, convey confidence and foster constructive dialogue. Finally, serenity has allowed me to make happen what I believe in, surviving the froth of days.
3. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU HAVE PERSONALLY ACHIEVED OR DONE THAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE?
When in the 2016 State of the Union speech, Jean Claude Juncker announced in the European Parliament the WIFI4EU initiative, aiming to provide EU citizens with a free high-quality internet experience in public spaces, I felt it was a great opportunity and applied to be the rapporteur for this initiative. At first, I had many doubts about the viability of the project, which was allocated €120m. But I did not give up, and with a good involvement of the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, a strong interinstitutional engagement and the great support of civil society, the project became a flagship. 7500 connections were financed and installed throughout the EU. I believe that the single authentication principle underlying its regulation will make its second phase an important pillar of the development of the European Digital Identity.
4. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME TO RELAX AND UNWIND?
I love reading, writing and running. Running has become a vital part of my balance. I try to do short runs of 5 to 7km outdoors whenever I can. In those moments, I can often connect with what I see on the route and with my body in motion. This is why I sometimes compare running to a certain form of meditation. It is while running that I usually naturally come up with the best ideas and solutions for what worries me on a daily basis.
5. WHAT WAS THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL AND INFLUENTIAL BOOK YOU HAVE READ AND WHY?
The Third Way, by Anthony Giddens. The book appeared at the end of the last century, at a time when a new global order was emerging. It gave rise to a profound debate, one in which I was deeply involved, on the application of the values of social democracy to the new models of living induced by globalisation. The polemics and debate inspired by the book have laid the foundations of the progressive vision for the new global challenges, namely energy and digital transitions, the fight against climate change, democracy and the rule of law, social justice, gender equality and the fight against inequalities.