The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, announced this Thursday that he will dissolve Parliament and call early elections on March 10 to get out of the open political crisis with the resignation of the prime minister, the socialist António Costa.
“I opt for the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic and the calling of elections on March 10, 2024,” said the president in a statement to the country, two days after Costa presented his resignation due to an investigation against him for alleged prevarication, active and passive corruption, and influence peddling in lithium and hydrogen businesses.
Rebelo de Sousa explained that he opted for early elections by “his own decision”, considering that the socialist victory of 2022 was personalized in the figure of Costa himself and keeping the socialists governing with another prime minister would be a “weaker” alternative.
In addition, he explained that he will formalize his decision in December, after the 2024 Budget has been approved, to guarantee “the indispensable economic and social stability” in the country and continue the execution of the funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
He also wants to give the Socialist Party time to appoint a new leader.
The head of state thanked Costa for his work at the head of the Government, during difficult times such as the pandemic or the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and indicated that he wants the court case that led him to resign to be clarified.
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The Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa.
“I hope that time, sooner rather than later, will allow us to clarify what happened, with respect for the presumption of innocence, the safeguarding of good name, the affirmation of justice and the reinforcement of the democratic rule of law,” he noted.
The president spoke to the country after a meeting of the State Council of more than four hours, who was against the dissolution, as he revealed.
This advisory body is made up of the Prime Minister himself, the former Heads of State and the Presidents of the Assembly of the Republic, of the autonomous Governments of Madeira and Azores, and of the Constitutional Court, as well as the Ombudsman and five designated members. by Rebelo de Sousa and five others by Parliament.
Costa presented his resignation last Tuesday after learning that he is being investigated in a case of alleged malfeasanceactive and passive corruption and influence peddling in lithium and hydrogen businesses, although he assured that he has not committed any illegal act.
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I hope that time, sooner rather than later, will allow us to clarify what happened.
The Socialist Party, which has an absolute majority, proposed continuing to govern with a new prime minister, but the president chose to bring forward the elections, as requested by the opposition parties.
The Portuguese have the scenario of early elections close, since they experienced it in January 2022, after the socialist Government could not carry out the Budgets.
Costa, who had led the Executive since 2015, then won with an absolute majority and was re-elected for a third term.
EFE
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