The president of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, considered it normal this Wednesday that the Prime Minister would take on the role of Minister of Infrastructure, following the resignation of João Galamba, at a time when early parliamentary elections are scheduled.
“I find it normal that this was the solution found in the government organization,” said Luís Montenegro at the end of a meeting with business people from the tourism sector in the Algarve.
For the leader of the largest opposition party, when it was already known “that the government will be dismissed”, the Assembly of the Republic was dissolved and elections were scheduled for March 10. ‘It wasn’t the right time […] to call a new member to office and come up with a policy on infrastructure that can be put into practice.”
“Frankly, I think it is relatively normal, in a situation that is not normal, that we have a prime minister who resigns and the minister [João Galamba] who extended his stay in the government and crossed all limits,” reflected Luís Montenegro.
The Palace of Belém published a note entitled Wednesday “The Prime Minister assumes the role of Minister of Infrastructure and the President of the Republic accepts the appointment of a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure.”
The President of the Republic announced in this statement that he accepted the proposal to reappoint Frederico Francisco, who will become Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure under Prime Minister António Costa.
“In accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 7 of Decree-Law No. 32/2022 of May 9, with the resignation of the Minister of Infrastructure, his functions were taken over by the Prime Minister. Thus, the President of the Republic accepted the proposal to reappoint Frederico André Branco dos Reis Francisco, former Secretary of State for Infrastructure, as the new Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Infrastructure, under the Prime Minister,” reads the note from the Palace of Belém.
On Monday, the President of the Republic dismissed with immediate effect the Minister of Infrastructure, João Galamba, and the Secretary of State for the Economy, Pedro Cilínio, who were presented to him by the Prime Minister.
João Galamba, accused as part of the ‘Influencer’ operation, asked early Monday afternoon to resign as Minister of Infrastructure, which he justified with the need to guarantee peace and discretion for his family, and it was accepted. by the Prime Minister.
The former Infrastructure Minister was accused in connection with the ‘Influencer’ operation, which was linked to the exploration of lithium and hydrogen and the creation of the Sines data center.
Portugal will hold early parliamentary elections on March 10, 2024, scheduled by the President of the Republic, following the resignation of the Prime Minister.
António Costa is the target of an investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) at the Supreme Court, after suspects in a trial investigating interference in the activities of a data center in Sines invoked his name as having intervened to unblock proceedings .
On the day of his dismissal, Costa refused to commit “any unlawful or offensive act.”
Source: DN
