I wake up, almost mechanically, at 6am, unless I’m extremely tired. I can usually manage my day on five to six hours’ sleep, but as I can often find myself travelling to three countries in a day, I may nap on a train or plane. I have a shower, shave and dress in 20 minutes.

I always wear a classic suit in grey or dark blue, a blue or white shirt, dark blue or black socks. As I dress I listen to classical, opera or jazz.

The precious time is before 9am, when I have no phone calls and no one is trying to see me. That’s when I read my briefings and papers and make plans. For breakfast I just have coffee and an apple, because I have to watch my weight. But then I’ll often have a working breakfast at 8am at the Commission. We don’t serve an English breakfast, which I love — just croissants.

My wife and I rent an apartment in Brussels, but last year I was away for 200 days. Our three sons are in their twenties. I was foreign minister when they were young, so I didn’t give them the time most Portuguese fathers might. Of course I miss that time, but fortunately my wife looked after them.

I can have as many as 10 meetings a day, with prime ministers, leaders of businesses and NGOs. Because of the current financial problems, we are in permanent crisis mode. I’ve spent more time with President Sarkozy in the past six months than with my wife. Chris Patten once said that this job is the most difficult in the world. And, yes, it’s very demanding, but also very exciting, not just from a political but from a human point of view. In Portugal we have a saying: he who runs because he enjoys it never gets tired. That’s what I feel.

When I entered university in 1973 as a radical left-wing student, Portugal was ruled by an ultra-conservative dictatorship and democratic parties didn’t exist. Books we wanted to read and songs like Je t’Aime were banned. Then, in 1974, there was a revolution. I am no longer a revolutionary, but I like politics because I believe that is how you can change things, and do good things. I pushed the EU for an additional one billion euros to support agriculture in developing countries. We are also making a real breakthrough with climate change. That was the first thing President Obama wanted to work on with me.

I may have two or three distinguished guests every week for lunch — even occasionally a rock star like Bono. We’ll eat fish or poultry with some wine.

The Commission does not have its own plane, so I get lifts whenever I can. In 2005, I was in Auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the liberation, and the Swiss president gave me a lift to Davos. I remember saying to the conference: “Don’t be pessimistic. Sixty years ago it was the Holocaust; 20 years ago there were dictatorships in European countries. Now we are 27 countries united in freedom and peace. Isn’t that great?”

Nearly every day my mother phones me. She’s 86, a retired teacher. She follows what I’m doing in the news. “Georgia,” she’ll say. “That’s a very dangerous place to go.” I have to meet the kind of people she wouldn’t approve of.

But what’s happening now in Zimbabwe is terrible. That’s why I didn’t greet Mugabe when he last came to the EU-Africa Summit.

I see art exhibitions whenever I can. Art is my biofuel — without it I couldn’t function. We politicians shouldn’t make ourselves too important. The greatest contributions to mankind are from creators like Shakespeare, Bach, Mozart or Beethoven. Recently in London I went with my son to the Rothko exhibition, and then we went to see Oedipus at the National Theatre. It was quite something to see that great play with one’s son!

I try to avoid official functions in the evening. I prefer to be at home with my wife. We have dinner about 9pm — something light like soup or vegetables — and then I sit zapping in front of the TV and looking at some papers. My wife often asks me how can I live my life like this. But she knows me very well — I think it’s more of a rhetorical question.

I know people are cynical about politics, but I think it’s better to try to change things, even in a small way, than to criticise others. This is how I am. My middle name Durao means tough. It’s not for me to say if that’s true, but I think I am determined and I’m not ashamed to make compromises.

I never go to bed before midnight. I can get into bed and be asleep in a minute. And no matter what country I’m in, I dream in Portuguese.

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