Prime Minister António Costa said today that Portugal “always speaks with one voice” on foreign policy, rejecting controversies, and declined to comment on the president of the republic’s veto over the housing package.
“As you know, I have a rule – and I like to abide by the rules – and that is that when we are abroad we do not talk about domestic policy issues and when we talk about foreign policy, Portugal always speaks with one voice,” he said. said António Costa upon arrival in São Tomé and Príncipe, where he will take part in the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) summit on Sunday.
“When the President of the Republic speaks, when the Prime Minister speaks, when the President of the Assembly of the Republic speaks, when the Foreign Minister speaks, we speak with one voice, that’s why there are no controversies,” he stressed. without specifying what is being referred to.
Upon arrival in São Tomé, the prime minister was asked if he had already spoken to the president of the republic after he vetoed changes to housing legislation and controversies that dominated the national news.
On Thursday, the president of the republic in Ukraine defended that there is no “double play” in Portugal’s position on Ukraine’s European integration, which is supportive, indicating that “there is no one above the president who can say anything. otherwise”.
‘The political power in Portugal, which is democratically legitimized, wants Ukraine to be part of the European family in the future […]. Portugal has also clearly said that this includes two parts: the path that Ukraine takes with great merit in preparing for that moment, but also the path that the EU must take in preparation for that moment,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. , during a joint press conference with Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the Portuguese head of state, Ukraine’s integration into the European Union (EU) is “a two-way route” and on the part of Portugal “there is no double game”.
The president of the republic added that Portugal supports Ukraine’s accession to the EU from the first moment: “And I hope it is clear that when the president of Portugal says that this is the goal, there is no one above the president . who can say anything else about this”.
For Volodymyr Zelensky, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed that Ukraine’s future will lie “in the European Union and NATO”.
On the same day, the Minister of the Presidency, questioned about the statements of the President of the Republic, underlined the “broad consensus” that exists in Portugal on “unambiguous support for Ukraine”.
Mariana Vieira da Silva declined to comment on statements she said she had not heard, but pointed out that the Portuguese position “in terms of unequivocal support for Ukraine has been consensual since day one”.
Source: DN
