2023-11-09 22:45:40
The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousaannounced this Thursday that it is dissolving the Assembly and calls early elections for March 10, 2024after the political crisis arising from the resignation of António Costa as prime minister, in the midst of a corruption scandal that affects his Government.
Finally, Rebelo de Sousa has opted for the option that had been most popular these days and which the leaders of the parties with parliamentary representation advocated during the meeting he held with them this Wednesday. “I opt for the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic and the calling of elections on March 10, 2024,” the president said in a statement to the country.
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 Governmentwith complicated moments such as the pandemic or the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and noted that he wants the court case that led him to resign to be clarified.
“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.
Related
The president spoke to the country after a meeting of the Council of State of more than four hours, which 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 prevarication, active and passive corruption and influence peddling in lithium and hydrogen businessesalthough he assured that he has not committed any illegal act.
The Socialist Party, which has an absolute majority, proposed continuing to govern with a new prime minister, but the president has chosen to bring forward the elections, as requested by the opposition parties.
The Portuguese have the scenario of early elections approaching, 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.
#president #Portugal #calls #early #elections #crisis #unleashed #socialist #António #Costa