The President of the Republic accepted António Costa’s resignation as Prime Minister and convened the parties with seats in Parliament for Wednesday and the Council of State for Thursday and will then speak to the country.
According to a note from the Presidency of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa acted “on the basis of Article 145, paragraph a) and paragraph e), second part” of the Constitution – under which it is the responsibility of the Council of State “to to pronounce on the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic”, but also “in general to advise the President of the Republic in the exercise of his functions”.
The head of state convened the parties and the State Council “after the Prime Minister’s resignation, which he accepted,” reads the note published on the Internet on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic, shortly after the Prime Minister announced in a press release announced to the country that he has tendered his resignation to the head of state, adding that “this resignation was accepted”.
In the current legislature with an absolute majority of the PS, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stated that a possible departure of António Costa would lead to the dissolution of parliament – for which it must listen to the parties represented therein and the Council of State – ruling from the formation of another executive with the same majority.
The prime minister resigned after the Public Prosecution Service announced that an independent investigation into lithium and hydrogen projects would take place at the Supreme Court.
António Costa declared himself with a “head held high” and a “clear conscience” and justified his dismissal by arguing that “the dignity of the role of Prime Minister is not compatible with any presumption of his integrity, his good conduct and, even less , with suspicion of committing a criminal offence.”
In the morning, searches were carried out at government buildings, including São Bento’s official residence, with the prime minister’s chief of staff, Vítor Escária, arrested for questioning.
António Costa resigned after almost eight years as premier, a position to which he was sworn in on November 26, 2015 by the then President of the Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva.
On March 30, 2022, when he took the oath of office in the XXIII Constitutional Government, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa warned António Costa that “it will not be politically easy” to replace him as head of the government in the middle of the term, implying that In In that case he would call early parliamentary elections.
On January 24 this year, when seven years had passed since his election as President of the Republic, he was more definitive, stating that “if the Prime Minister changes, there will be dissolution of Parliament,” referring to the “theoretical hypothesis of the appearance of another prime minister from the PS area”.
“Because this majority was formed with a prime minister who acted not only as leader of the party, but also as leader of the government. It was very important, I said that in my inauguration speech and that is why it was excluded. I mean, with another prime minister there would be a dissolution of parliament,” he argued at the time.
Read the full statement of the President of the Republic:
“Following the resignation of the Prime Minister, which he accepted, the President of the Republic has decided to convene the political parties represented in the General Assembly of the Republic for tomorrow, Wednesday, November 8, and to convene the Council of State convene, under the conditions of Article 145. , paragraph a) and paragraph e), second part, to meet the day after tomorrow, Thursday, November 9, at 3 p.m. in Palácio de Belém.
The President of the Republic will speak to the country immediately after the meeting of the State Council.”
Source: DN
