Miguel Soares Teixeira
44 years old · Cascais (returned to Portugal 2023)
IT Project Manager (remote for Dutch company)
Persona: Returned Emigrant
Miguel Soares Teixeira
Quick Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Miguel Soares Teixeira |
| Age | 44 |
| Gender | Male |
| Location | Cascais (returned to Portugal 2023) |
| Occupation | IT Project Manager (remote for Dutch company) |
| Education | Master's in Computer Science |
| Housing | Renting apartment (€1,400/month) |
| Family | Married to Sofia (41, also returned), two children (11, 8), born in Netherlands |
| Voter Status | Portuguese citizen - can vote |
Background Narrative
Miguel left Portugal in 2010, during the troika crisis. He was 28, with a freshly minted master's and no job prospects. Amsterdam offered what Lisbon couldn't—a salary that matched his skills, opportunities for growth, a functioning system. He built his career there, met Sofia (also Portuguese), had children who speak better Dutch than Portuguese.
They always planned to return "someday." Then COVID made remote work permanent. The children were getting older, asking about avós they barely knew. Property prices in Amsterdam became insane. Portugal introduced tax incentives for returnees. In 2023, they made the leap.
The return has been complicated. Portugal is different from his memories—more diverse, more expensive, more chaotic. His children struggle with the school system, the heat, the grandmother who doesn't understand their Dutch. Sofia misses her friends in Amsterdam. The things that work seamlessly in Netherlands—healthcare appointments, bureaucracy, public transport—are frustrating here.
But the weather is glorious. Family dinners are everything he missed. The children are learning their heritage. He's not sure if it was the right choice.
Economic Situation
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income level | Upper-middle (€5,500/month remote salary) |
| Income source | Remote employment (Dutch company, Dutch salary) |
| Financial stress | Low (but aware of expat privilege) |
| Housing cost burden | 25% of income |
| Economic trajectory | Stable but dependent on remote work continuing |
Values Profile (Schwartz Framework)
Higher-Order Values
| Dimension | Rating | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Transcendence | 4 | Cares about Portugal's problems; not indifferent |
| Self-Enhancement | 3 | Achieved professionally; not driven by status now |
| Openness to Change | 4 | Made big life change; adaptable |
| Conservation | 3 | Returned for tradition/family; but also values progress |
Specific Values (Top 3 priorities)
- Benevolence: Family relationships drove the return decision
- Self-Direction: Chose to return; values autonomy
- Universalism: Believes in functioning systems for all, not just privileged
Moral Politics Frame (Lakoff)
Primary frame: Biconceptual
Expression: Miguel has seen two systems. Netherlands has higher taxes and better services; Portugal has lower taxes and worse services. He believes systems should work, government should be competent, and opportunity should exist for everyone—not just those with Dutch salaries.
Information Ecosystem
| Source Type | Specific Sources | Trust Level |
|---|---|---|
| TV | RTP, international streams | Medium |
| Online | Público, NRC (Dutch), international news | Medium-High |
| Social Media | LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook | Medium |
| None regular | N/A | |
| Community | Other returnee families, expat networks, colleagues | High |
Media consumption pattern: Bilingual news consumption. Compares Portuguese and Dutch coverage. LinkedIn for professional network. Facebook for reconnecting with Portugal.
Political Profile
Voting History
| Election | Vote | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Legislative | AD (PSD) | "Time for change from PS, seemed reformist" |
| 2022 Legislative | Voted from NL for PSD | "Habit" |
| 2021 Presidential | Voted from NL for Marcelo | "Stability" |
| Historical pattern | Center-right, but open |
Political Identity
- Left-Right self-placement: 5-6/10 (center, pragmatic)
- Party identification: None strong; judges by competence
- Political engagement: Moderate—votes, follows news, compares to other countries
2026 Presidential Inclination
- Current leaning: Gouveia e Melo (slight) or Marques Mendes
- Certainty: Leaning
- Key deciding factors: Competence, reform capability, not too extreme
Top Concerns (Ranked)
- System functionality: "Why doesn't anything work? Healthcare appointments, licenses, bureaucracy—Netherlands does this better."
- Children's adaptation: "Are they happy here? Is this fair to them?"
- Portugal's trajectory: "Did I come back to a country that's improving or declining?"
- Tax situation: "The returnee benefits expire. What then? Can I justify staying?"
- Chega's rise: "I left a tolerant country. Will Portugal become something else?"
Hopes
For himself:
"I hope this was the right choice. That my kids grow up knowing their roots. That I don't regret disrupting our stable life in Amsterdam."
For Portugal:
"I hope Portugal can become a country where my kids can build careers, not just visit grandparents. Where systems work, and it's not just cheap living for those with foreign salaries."
For his children:
"I want them to love Portugal like I do. To feel Portuguese, not just visiting. To have the choice to stay here as adults."
Fears
Personal fears:
"That the children resent us for this. That Sofia never adjusts. That we end up going back, having disrupted everything for nothing."
Fears for Portugal:
"That it doesn't change. That the things that drove me away in 2010 still drive the next generation away. That I'm just a tourist with a passport."
Deepest fear (often unspoken):
"That Portugal is only livable with a foreign salary. That I'm not really 'back'—I'm just working remotely from a sunnier place, disconnected from real Portuguese life."
"In Their Own Voice"
How he'd describe Portugal today:
"It's complicated. The food is better than I remembered, the weather is heaven, my mother cries happy tears when the kids visit. But the SNS is a disaster, getting anything done takes forever, and I watch Portuguese friends my age still living like students while I earn Dutch rates. I don't know if Portugal is broken or if I've just seen how it should work."
What he'd say to someone who disagrees with him politically:
"I'm not attached to parties. I just want competence. I've seen countries where healthcare works, where paperwork takes days not months, where roads get repaired. Portugal can do this. It's about political will, not left or right."
His message to politicians:
"Stop talking about the 'brain drain' like it's a tragedy and start fixing why people leave. I came back because remote work let me keep my salary. Most emigrants can't do that. Give people reasons to stay—real jobs, real healthcare, real housing."
Scenario Response Predictions
| Candidate | Predicted Response | Key Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Negative | Too divisive; not the Portugal he wants |
| Gouveia e Melo | Positive | Competence, efficiency; proved himself with vaccines |
| Marques Mendes | Moderately Positive | Stable, experienced, reform rhetoric |
| Seguro | Neutral | PS hasn't fixed system issues |
| Catarina Martins | Neutral | Values progressive views; skeptical on execution |
| Cotrim Figueiredo | Moderately Positive | Reform focus; but too market-absolutist |
| António Filipe | Negative | "Not realistic about what Portugal needs" |
Notes for Scenario Development
- Dual-perspective: compares Portugal to Netherlands constantly
- Children's identity as ongoing question
- Economic privilege creates distance from "real" Portuguese struggles
- Remote work dependency—what if that changes?
- Could interact with: emigrants who stayed, Portuguese friends on local salaries, children's schoolmates' parents
- In "Day in the Future" vignettes: video calls with Dutch colleagues, children struggling with Portuguese homework, family dinners, healthcare navigation