this was generally rejected, the improbability being explained by the
great apolitical feelings of the Portuguese people, cut off from political
activities by a fascist dictatorship of more than 40 years, which used as
an instrument one of the most efficient police forces in the world - the
notorious PIDE. The lack of political conscience, the terror inspired
by PIDE, made the idea of a popular uprising very remoteo  Nevertheless,
the Portuguese people were conscious that something should be done to    $
take Portugal out of the chaotic situation in which she was placed, and
which was characterised by an economy on the point^of collapse, (the
Portuguese national product has grown at an annual growth of about 3%
during the past years, compared with a 6%  average growth of the other
countries of Southern Europe);  with one of the highest levels of illiteracy (about half the Portuguese population is illiterates secondary
education is a privilege of the rich), with one of the highest levels of
misery and infant mortality in Europe? with the grave economic crisis
accentuated by the towering expenditures of the colonial wars, with one
of the most fragile political superstructures in the world, the economic
inequality in the distribution of riches widening even further the gap
between the rich and the poor0
In view of this situation, naturally, the question arose;  will Marcelo
Caetano, the successor to Salazar, be able to achieve the reforms which
Portugal needs so urgently - to revitalise the internal productive forces,
to put an end to the loss of lives and riches in the colonial warso The
situation was favourable up to a certain point - the immense expenditure
on the colonial war had forced Salazar to open the door to foreign investments, tourists and enmigrants - the latter because of the money
(dividends) which they send back to Portugalo New ideas were therefore
entering Portugal together with money and people, facilitating changes0
But would the new Premier be a man to undertake these reforms?
Cleverly, Marcelo Caetano himself suggested these reforms, when he declared in a speech to the National Assembly on the 27th September, 1968,
that 'faithfulness to the doctrine brilliantly taught by Dr* Salazar
should not be confused with stubborn adherence to formulas or solutions
that he at some time may have adopted7„
But an analysis of the political past of Caetano and the circumstances
under which he rose to power shows that the answer is quite clearly -
nothing will be changed.
In fact, Caetano played a very important role in the structuring of the
present fascist state, having been an intimate collaborator of Salazar.
Here are some of the positions he has held in the course of his political
lifes  from 1929 to 1934, he was a juridical auditor of the finance
ministry.  In 1936 he was nominated Speaker of the Portuguese Imperial
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