Follow our liveblog about national politics here
The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, recognized Portugal’s responsibilities for crimes committed during the colonial era, suggesting the payment of reparations for past mistakes.
We have to pay the costs. Are there actions that were not punished and those responsible were not arrested? Are there assets that were looted and not returned? Let’s see how we can fix this”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, quoted by the Reuters agency.
The President of the Republic spoke, on Tuesday, during a dinner with foreign correspondents in Portugal. At the event, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that Portugal “takes full responsibility” for past mistakes and remembers that these crimes, including colonial massacres, had costs.
A year ago, in the welcoming session for Brazilian President Lula da Silva, which preceded the solemn session commemorating the 49th anniversary of the 25th of April in the Assembly of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa argued that Portugal owed an apology, but above all, he had to take full responsibility for exploitation and slavery in the colonial period.
PUB • CONTINUE READING BELOW
“It’s not just apologizing — properly, without a doubt — for what we did, because apologizing is sometimes the easiest thing to do, you apologize, turn your back, and the job is done. No, is taking responsibility for the future of what we did, good and bad, in the past“, he defended.
For more than four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, Forcibly transported long distances by mostly European ships and merchants and sold into slavery.
In the same meeting with foreign correspondents, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa once again said that he believes that former Prime Minister António Costa will be the next President of the European Council.
“I think so”, he said, quoted by the EFE agency, when asked about his opinion regarding Costa’s chances of presiding over the Council.
The Portuguese leader stated that, following the latest information released about the legal proceedings against the former head of government for alleged irregularities, it seems that the process will happen “more easily, more quickly”.
Rebelo de Sousa also highlighted that everything indicates that the socialists will be the second most voted force in the European elections in June, “unless there is a tsunami”.
Rebelo de Sousa highlighted that another factor favorable to Costa could be the fact that the Presidency of the European Commission is in the hands of the Popular Party, which would make sense for the Presidency of the European Council to go to the socialists, although this is not currently the case.
He highlighted not only the support that Costa could have within the socialist family, but also the sympathies it arouses within the European People’s Party and among liberals such as the French presidentEmmanuel Macron.
According to Rebelo de Sousa, these possible supporters are joined by other possible supporters, such as the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, the Hungarian President, Viktor Orbán, and leaders from Eastern Europe.
“He will be a great president of the European Council and that is good for Europe and good for Portugal”he stated.
The Portuguese President highlighted that Europe “needs politicians with experience” and recalled that Costa was one of the prime ministers with the longest term.