 A proponent of libertarian communism, Saramago criticized institutions such as the Catholic Church, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.An atheist, he defended love as an instrument to improve the human condition.In 1992, the Government of Portugal under Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva ordered the removal of one of his works, "The Gospel According to Jesus Christ", from the Aristeion Prize's shortlist, claiming the work was religiously offensive.