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☆ Explainer-What's Next After Portugal's Inconclusive Election
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The centre-left Socialist Party (PS) won 77 seats, down sharply from its absolute majority of 120 in the previous legislature, after the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa amid a corruption investigation. Failure to approve a budget usually means the government's collapse and a new election. Portugal's constitution sets out that a new general election cannot happen earlier than six months after a new legislature first convenes, nor in the six months before a presidential election, which is due in January 2026. AD'S POLICY PROPOSALSThe newly-formed AD is led by the centre-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) - the Socialists' main traditional rival. Investors do not expect much divergence from established fiscal prudence and economic growth from an AD government.

Persons: Andrei Khalip LISBON, Antonio Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Luis Montenegro, Andre Ventura, Rebelo de Sousa, Chega, Ventura, Sergio Goncalves, Aislinn Laing, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Democratic Alliance, Liberal Initiative, Socialist Party, Socialist, Conservative, Social Democratic Party, PSD, Socialists, Investors Locations: Montenegro, Portugal, Brussels

☆ Thousands of Portuguese Police Protest Over Wages, Hazard Pay
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sergio Goncalves and Miguel PereiraLISBON (Reuters) - Thousands of off-duty police officers in plain clothes on Wednesday protested in Lisbon for better wages, demanding the same increases in hazard pay that the outgoing government recently granted to the criminal investigation police (PJ). In late November, after Prime Minister Antonio Costa's resignation but while he still had full powers to make long-term decisions, the government approved hazard pay rises for the PJ that can reach almost 700 euros ($763) per month and are retroactive to January 2023. He added that members of the PSP and the GNR had "practically the same competences as those of the PJ". Police union association ASPP said on Tuesday that the average hazard pay in the PSP was currently between 380 and 420 euros per month, while in the PJ it has reached 1,000 euros. ($1 = 0.9179 euros)(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Miguel Pereira; Editing by David Latona and Jonathan Oatis)

Persons: Sergio Goncalves, Miguel Pereira, Antonio Costa's, Humberto de Carvalho, Jose Luis Carneiro, ASPP, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, David Latona, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Miguel Pereira LISBON, Public Security Police, National Republican Guard, PSP, GNR, Police Locations: Lisbon

☆ Portugal's Attorney General Says She's Not Responsible for PM Costa's Downfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sergio GoncalvesLISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's Attorney General Lucilia Gago on Thursday rejected criticism from the ruling Socialist Party (PS) that she was responsible for Prime Minister Antonio Costa's resignation because of her probe into alleged irregularities in his administration. Costa stepped down on Nov. 7 over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government's handling of lithium and hydrogen projects. Prosecutors said Costa was also the target of a related probe, but he has denied wrongdoing. Santos Silva said some in the judicial system viewed political activity as "by nature suspicious and tend to criminalize political and governmental action." He demanded the justice system decide Costa's case before the snap election.

Persons: Sergio Goncalves LISBON, Lucilia Gago, Antonio Costa's, Gago, Costa, illegalities, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Augusto Santos Silva, Santos Silva, Sergio Goncalves, Charlie Devereux, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Portugal's, Socialist Party, Prosecutors Locations: Costa

☆ Moody's upgrades Portugal's rating two notches, despite political crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Portugal's government nationalised a small private bank, Banco Portugues de Negocios (BPN), on Sunday as the international financial crisis claimed its first victim in the Iberian country. REUTERS/Jose Manuel Ribeiro (PORTUGAL) Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Moody's upgraded Portugal's long-term issuer rating two notches to A3 from Baa2, despite the political crisis triggered by the resignation of the country's prime minister due to an investigation into alleged irregularities in his government. Moody's said it appeared the country's institutions were dealing with the crisis in an "effective and transparent manner". The 2024 budget, which is set to be approved by the Socialist parliamentary majority on Nov. 29, projects economic growth slowing down to 1.5% in 2024 from the 2.2% growth expected this year. It sees "significant private and public investments as well as the implementation of further structural reforms", both linked to the country's recovery plan.

Persons: Jose Manuel Ribeiro, Antonio Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Moody's, Fernando Medina, Medina, Sergio Goncalves, David Latona Organizations: Banco Portugues de, Rights, Finance, Socialist, Thomson Locations: Portuguese, Lisbon, Banco Portugues de Negocios, PORTUGAL, Rights LISBON, Baa2, Portugal

☆ Portuguese bankers warn political instability could undermine reforms, public finances
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Antonio Horta Osorio, CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, arrives at a garden party at Buckingham Palace, London, May 22, 2018. The government remains fully functional for the time being, at least until parliament has had its final vote on the 2024 budget on Nov. 29. He said reforms should create an environment for companies to achieve better results and compete more effectively globally. The 2024 budget projects economic growth will slow to 1.5% in 2024 from 2.2% expected this year and political instability may also delay public investment, such as using COVID recovery funds, and private investment. "Probably no one wants to invest when there is great instability," said Pedro Castro Almeida, CEO of Santander Portugal.

Persons: Antonio Horta Osorio, Simon Dawson, Portugal's, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Horta, Osorio, Miguel Maya, Pedro Castro Almeida, Paulo Macedo, Sergio Goncalves, Catarina Demony, Mark Potter Organizations: Lloyds Banking Group, REUTERS, Rights, Credit Suisse, bcp, Santander Portugal, Caixa Geral, Thomson Locations: Buckingham Palace, London, Rights LISBON, Lisbon, Portugal, Horta, Caixa, Depositos

☆ Portuguese Bankers Warn Political Instability Could Undermine Reforms, Public Finances
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Sergio GoncalvesLISBON (Reuters) - The resignation of Portugal's prime minister will trigger instability that could delay economic reforms, while making it harder for the country to keep a balanced budget and further reduce debt, bankers warned on Thursday. The government remains fully functional for the time being, at least until parliament has had its final vote on the 2024 budget on Nov. 29. He said reforms should create an environment for companies to achieve better results and compete more effectively globally. The 2024 budget projects economic growth will slow to 1.5% in 2024 from 2.2% expected this year and political instability may also delay public investment, such as using COVID recovery funds, and private investment. "Probably no one wants to invest when there is great instability," said Pedro Castro Almeida, CEO of Santander Portugal.

Persons: Sergio Goncalves LISBON, Portugal's, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Horta, Osorio, Miguel Maya, Pedro Castro Almeida, Paulo Macedo, Sergio Goncalves, Catarina Demony, Mark Potter Organizations: Credit Suisse, Lloyds Banking Group, Santander Portugal, Caixa Geral Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Horta, Caixa, Depositos

Pedro Nuno Santos poses for a portrait between the legislators of Socialist party and left bloc inside Portuguese parliament in Lisbon, Portugal June 21, 2016. The resignation also left Costa's job as secretary-general of the Socialist Party (PS) up for grabs, and whoever wins the leadership race will run for prime minister. Although Nuno Santos' popularity was hurt after he resigned in December 2022 in a scandal around a severance payout by state-owned airline TAP, he is seen as the front-runner by many. Nuno Santos successfully coordinated support for a previous minority government with the far-left in 2015-2019. Reporting by Catarina Demony and Sergio Goncalves; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pedro Nuno Santos, Rafael Marchante, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Jose Luis Carneiro, Carneiro, Nuno Santos, pollsters Aximage, Costa, Adelino Maltez, Costa's, Intercampus, Catarina Demony, Sergio Goncalves, Andrei Khalip, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Socialist, REUTERS, Rights, Socialist Party, Interior, TAP, Diario, Socialists, Social Democrats, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Rights LISBON, Portuguese

☆ Centeno says outgoing Portugal PM only invited him to ponder on premiership
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Sergio Goncalves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Bank of Portugal Governor Mario Centeno, who is under fire from the opposition over an invitation by the outgoing prime minister to replace him as premier, said on Monday he never accepted the offer but was just asked to ponder on the matter. Portuguese opposition parties on Friday argued that such an invitation compromised the political independence of a central bank governor. The Bank of Portugal's ethics committee is expected to meet on Monday to evaluate his conduct. Prime Minister Antonio Costa stepped down on Tuesday over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government's handling of lithium and hydrogen projects and a large-scale data centre. Centeno announced his departure from the finance ministry in June 2020, during Costa's second term, and was nominated to head the bank a month later.

Persons: Mario Centeno, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Centeno, Rebelo de Sousa, Olli Rehn, Balazs Koranyi, Francesco Canepa, Andrei Khalip, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Bank of Portugal, Socialist, European Central Bank policymaker, Bank of, ECB, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portuguese, Bank of Portugal, ECB's, Finland, Frankfurt

Portugal's Prime Minister and Socialist Party (PS) Secretary General Antonio Costa looks on after winning the general election in Lisbon, Portugal, January 31, 2022. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Portugal's premier Antonio Costa, who resigned this week, told foreign investors on Saturday the country was open for business and wanted to remain attractive despite an ongoing corruption probe into "green" energy projects. Costa stepped down on Tuesday over an investigation into alleged illegalities in his government's handling of lithium and hydrogen projects, as well as a large-scale data centre. The data centre project, Start Campus, has been dubbed "one of the biggest foreign direct investments in Portugal in recent decades". The company said it was cooperating with authorities but that neither the company nor any of its staff were the targets of the investigation.

Persons: General Antonio Costa, Pedro Nunes, Antonio Costa, Costa, illegalities, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Afonso Salema, Joao Galamba, Vitor Escaria, embarrasses, Catarina Demony, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Portugal's, Socialist Party, REUTERS, Rights, Savannah Resources, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Rights LISBON, London, Savannah, Portuguese

☆ Portuguese Central Bank to Assess Governor's Conduct - Local Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON (Reuters) - The Bank of Portugal's ethics committee will meet on Monday to evaluate the conduct of governor Mario Centeno, whose independence came into question after the departing prime minister proposed him as a potential replacement, local media said. Local media reported that Centeno had agreed to let his name go forward, raising concerns that his links to the PS remained strong and calling into question his independence if he remained central bank governor. Rebelo de Sousa rejected Costa's proposal and called the election instead. Centeno's quick move from the finance ministry to the central bank in July 2020, during Costa's second term, had previously raised eyebrows. A central bank spokesperson said it was up to the committee to comment on the matter.

Persons: Mario Centeno, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Costa, Rebelo de Sousa, Centeno, Costa's, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, Negocios, Catarina Demony, Sergio Goncalves, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Bank, Socialist, European Central Bank policymaker, Local, Social Democrats, Eco, Jornal Locations: LISBON

Andre Azevedo Alves, political science professor at Lisbon's Catolica University and St Mary's University in London, said the corruption investigation was a "very strong blow" to any PS ambitions. Analysts agree the PSD is likely to come out on top, but doubt its ability to build enough support to form a stable government. "Assuming the likelihood that the PSD will not have (enough) votes to form a government without Chega... we may go from one political crisis to another," Alves said. Waiting for a bus in central Lisbon, Ana Bernardino, 23, vented her concerns about the political outlook. "It is a political crisis and in my opinion it's a bit frustrating that elections are being held again...I'm a bit afraid."

Persons: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Costa's, Intercampus, Andre Azevedo Alves, Andre Ventura, Luis Montenegro, Alves, Antonio Barroso, Ana Bernardino, Maria Ines Ferreira, Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira, Patricia Rua, Andrei Khalip, Nick Macfie, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Socialist Party, Social Democrats, Lisbon's Catolica University, St Mary's University, PSD, Chega, Liberal Initiative, CDS, Thomson Locations: Belem, LISBON, Portugal, London, Lisbon, Europe

☆ Portugal to get March snap election after PM resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsPortugal to get March snap election after PM resignsPostedPortugal will hold a snap parliamentary election on March 10, its second in as many years, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Thursday (November 9), following Tuesday's abrupt resignation of the Socialist prime minister amid a corruption investigation. Ryan Chang reports.

Persons: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Ryan Chang Organizations: Socialist Locations: Portugal

☆ Poll Shows Most Portuguese Want Snap Election, President Readies Decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LISBON (Reuters) - Nearly 70% of Portuguese voters want an early election following the abrupt resignation of the Socialist prime minister, a survey showed on Thursday, as President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was due to announce his decision on the matter later in the day. His office said he would address the nation after meeting his consultative body, the Council of State. PS President Carlos Cesar said on Wednesday that if the president decided to call an election, March would be the best timing. The budget includes lower income tax rates for the middle class, higher wages and social benefits. (Reporting by Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Sergio Goncalves, editing by Andrei Khalip and Alex Richardson)

Persons: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Correio, Rebelo de Sousa, Joao Duque, Carlos Cesar, Diogo Lacerda Machado, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Sergio Goncalves, Andrei Khalip, Alex Richardson Organizations: Socialist, Prosecutors, Socialist Party, of State, Jornal de Negocios, Analysts, Lisbon School of Economics, Management Locations: LISBON, Lisbon

☆ Poll shows most Portuguese want snap election, president readies decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

His office said he would address the nation after meeting his consultative body, the Council of State. PS President Carlos Cesar said on Wednesday that if the president decided to call an election, March would be the best timing. The budget includes lower income tax rates for the middle class, higher wages and social benefits. Separately, those detained in the investigation, including Costa's close friend and consultant Diogo Lacerda Machado, were due to appear before a Lisbon court on Thursday. Reporting by Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Sergio Goncalves, editing by Andrei Khalip and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antonio Costa, Pedro, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, illegalities, Costa, Correio, Rebelo de Sousa, Joao Duque, Carlos Cesar, Diogo Lacerda Machado, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Sergio Goncalves, Andrei Khalip, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Socialist, Prosecutors, Socialist Party, of State, Jornal de Negocios, Analysts, Lisbon School of Economics, Management, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, LISBON

By law, an election needs to be held within 60 days of the publishing of the presidential decree dissolving parliament. "I hope that time, sooner rather than later, will allow us to clarify what happened," Rebelo de Sousa said. By calling the March election, Rebelo de Sousa also addressed the need of the PS to pick a new leader to run. Earlier, PS President Carlos Cesar said March would be the best timing, while other parties pointed to January or February. "It is urgent to reestablish trust and prestige in democratic institutions," the leader of the PSD, Luis Montenegro, said after the president announced the election.

Persons: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Rebelo, Mario Centeno, Filipe Garcia, Mercados, Carlos Cesar, Andre Ventura, Luis Montenegro, Catarina Demony, Sergio Goncalves, Andrei Khalip, Marguerita Choy, Alistair Bell Organizations: Lawmakers, Socialist, Socialist Party, of State, Prosecutors, Bank of Portugal, Social Democrats, PSD, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portugal, Portuguese, Lisbon, Belem, Europe, Western, Montenegro

Timing is everything," said political scientist Antonio Costa Pinto. By law, an election needs to be held within 60 days of the publishing of the presidential decree dissolving parliament. The PSD is still reeling from defeat in a January 2022 election that caused a leadership change. The 74-year-old former law lecturer and political commentator has used his constitutional power to disband parliament once before, in November 2021. Unlike now, Costa's government then had no parliamentary majority and had just had its budget rejected.

Persons: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Costa, illegalities, Costa, Antonio Costa Pinto, Ines de Sousa Real, Rebelo de Sousa, Antonio Barroso, Luis Montenegro, Pedro Nuno Santos, Andre Ventura, Patricia Rua, Aislinn Laing, Nick Macfie Organizations: Socialist, Socialist Party, Nature, Social Democratic Party, TAP, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portuguese, Montenegro

☆ Portugal's PM Costa resigns over corruption investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned on Tuesday amid an investigation into alleged irregularities committed by his majority Socialist administration in handling lithium mining and hydrogen projects in the country. Costa announced the decision in a televised statement after meeting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Prosecutors earlier on Tuesday named Infrastructure Minister Joao Galamba as a formal suspect and detained Costa's chief of staff. Costa he was "fully available to cooperate" with the justice system after prosecutors said he was also the target of an investigation. "The dignity of the functions of prime minister is not compatible with any suspicion about his integrity, his good conduct and even less with the suspicion of the practice of any criminal act," Costa told reporters.

Persons: Antonio Costa, Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Joao Galamba, Costa's Organizations: Portugal's, Prosecutors

[1/4] Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa attends the informal meeting of European heads of state or government, in Granada, Spain October 6, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLISBON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned on Tuesday, just hours after prosecutors detained his chief of staff in a probe into alleged corruption in his administration's handling of lithium mining and hydrogen projects. Costa, who prosecutors said was the target of a separate investigation, announced the decision in a televised statement after meeting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Over 40 searches were carried out on Tuesday at several government buildings, including Escaria's office and the infrastructure and environment ministries, the prosecutor's office said. "At stake may be ... facts capable of constituting crimes of malfeasance, active and passive corruption of politicians and influence peddling," the prosecutor's office said.

Persons: Antonio Costa, Juan Medina, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Costa, Rebelo de Sousa, Vitor Escaria, Joao Galamba, Nuno Lacasta, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Sergio Goncalves, Andrei Khalip, Emelia Organizations: Portugal's, REUTERS, Rights, Costa's Socialists, of State, TAP, APA, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, Rights LISBON, Portuguese, Costa, Portugal, Sines

[1/8] Pope Francis speaks as he meets with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps in the Cultural Centre of Belem during his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, August 2, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneLISBON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis promised on Wednesday to continue to "stir things up" in the Catholic Church as he moves on with reforms and changes that could leave a lasting legacy. The 86-year-old pope is making his first trip since intestinal surgery in June and uses a wheelchair and cane. A huge billboard raising awareness of clerical sexual abuse was put up overnight in Lisbon hours before Francis' arrival. Francis will also visit Fatima, the town north of Lisbon where the Church believes that the Virgin Mary appeared to three poor shepherd children in 1917.

Persons: Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane LISBON, Francis, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Filipa Almeida, Almeida, Coracao Silenciado, Fatima, Virgin Mary, Philip Pullella, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Alexandra Hudson, Alison Williams Organizations: Cultural, Belem, REUTERS, Catholic Church, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, Rome, Brazil, Ukraine, Europe, Western

Francis was speaking in Lisbon at the start of a five-day visit to the country in which he hopes to energize young Catholics during World Youth Day, the world's largest Catholic festival. The Vatican added the victims were accompanied by some representatives of institutions of the Portuguese Church responsible for the protection of minors. YOUNG CATHOLICS CONVERGE ON LISBONThe pope landed in Lisbon to a sea of young Catholics who have poured into the city from around the globe for the World Youth Day festival, held every two or three years in a different city. In Lisbon, young believers jumped and sang as they proudly waved their country's flag outside the Vatican embassy, where the pope is residing. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneWorld Youth Day "is a sign of faith and union in which all of us get together for a cause," said 20-year-old Carlos Hernandez.

Persons: Pope, Francis, Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Carlos Hernandez, Australian Andrew De Santos, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Philip Pullella, Catarina Demony, Patricia Rua, Alison Williams, Conor Humphries, Grant McCool Organizations: Catholic, Wednesday, Catholic Church, Vatican, Bishops, Conference, Cultural, Belem, REUTERS, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Portugal, LISBON, Lisbon, Portuguese, Vatican, Australian, Brazil, Rome, Ukraine, Europe

July 18 (Reuters) - The European Union (EU) said on Tuesday that Europe's slave-trading past inflicted "untold suffering" on millions of people and hinted at the need for reparations for what it described as a "crime against humanity". The idea of paying reparations or making other amends for slavery has a long history but the movement is gaining momentum worldwide. EU and CELAC agreed on one paragraph that acknowledged and "profoundly" regretted the "untold suffering inflicted on millions of men, women and children as a result of the transatlantic slave trade". It said slavery and the transatlantic slave trade were "appalling tragedies ... not only because of their abhorrent barbarism but also in terms of their magnitude". The CARICOM reparations commission "sees the persistent racial victimisation of the descendants of slavery and genocide as the root cause of their suffering today", the plan said.

Persons: Ralph Gonsalves, Saint Vincent, CELAC's, CELAC, Dutch King Willem, Alexander, King Charles, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Catarina Demony, Belen Carreno, Andrew Gray, Grant McCool Organizations: European Union, EU, of, Caribbean, Caribbean Community, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Brazil, Caribbean States, Brussels, Grenadines, Dutch, Netherlands

☆ Portugal's president to address the nation after rift with PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, May 4 (Reuters) - Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will address the nation at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Thursday, a spokesperson for the presidency said, after his rift with Prime Minister Antonio Costa increased the risk of a political crisis. The conservative president had made clear he wanted Galamba out and said he disagreed with Costa's decision after previously having warned that he could disband parliament if the government lost credibility. Costa's Socialists won an outright parliamentary majority in January 2022, but his third government in a row has been plagued by instability, although analysts see it surviving - for now at least. More than 10 ministers and secretaries of state have left their posts in the past year, at least two of them linked to scandals at airline TAP. Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LISBON, May 2 (Reuters) - Portugal's infrastructure minister submitted his resignation on Tuesday as a scandal around state-owned airline TAP widened, just four months after his predecessor resigned over the same issue, but the prime minister said he would keep him in the job. Galamba's predecessor, Pedro Nuno Santos, resigned in December in the wake of a scandal involving an irregular severance payment to a former executive board member of TAP. Ourmières-Widener has since been fired after an official inspection found that the severance was illegal. On Sunday, Costa said that neither he nor any member of the government had given orders to SIS to recover the laptop. ($1 = 0.9089 euros)Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Catarina Demony; Editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

From the 15th to the 19th century, 6 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported across the Atlantic by Portuguese vessels and sold into slavery, primarily to Brazil. But so far Portugal has rarely commented on its past and little is taught about its role in slavery in schools. Reparations and public policies to fight inequalities caused by Portugal's past were essential, Cardoso said. "We continue to suffer in Brazil the effects of a legacy of slavery," Almeida said in a statement. Europe's top human rights group previously said Portugal had do more to confront its colonial past and role in the transatlantic slave trade in order to help fight racism and discrimination today.

Buarque was awarded in 2019 the Camoes Prize, which every year recognises an author from a Portuguese-speaking nation. The prize, named after Portuguese poet Luis de Camoes, was created by Portugal and Brazil in 1988. When Buarque won, Bolsonaro refused to sign the award diploma, delaying the ceremony. Buarque was also an opponent of the two decade-long military dictatorship in Brazil that began in 1964. "It is for me a satisfaction to correct one of the biggest mistakes ... committed against Brazilian culture in recent times," Lula said.

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