On Thursday, the President of the Republic took stock of the eight years of cohabitation with Prime Minister António Costa, concluding that it was “worth it” and that the country benefited from the “commitment effort” they had made.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke during the traditional ceremony of presenting the government’s greetings at the Palácio de Belém in Lisbon, at a time when early parliamentary elections are scheduled for March 10 and António Costa will leave the position of Prime Minister.
“A compromise was tried here. I think it was worth it. It was worth it,” he defended to António Costa, after summarizing each of the eight years in which he was President of the Republic and Prime Minister. since 2016.
“To be honest, I was convinced it would take a while. I actually had a formula: one year and ten months,” the head of state then explained, referring to “the time remaining until the holding of local elections and therefore the entry into the election period.”
“But fate didn’t want it to be that way. And that’s why I was already thinking about breaking the record of having only one Prime Minister for ten years – it’s a record I can’t keep up with, but that’s life, life. there is this news,” he added.
According to the President of the Republic, “the fact is that it was important for Portuguese democracy, it was important for the economy and for Portuguese society”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa emphasized that “not everything went well”, whether “for international reasons, for objective national reasons” or “for mistakes” made by both men and others.
“It’s part of politics to be like that. But I think one day, if you look closely and from a distance, you will say that it is no coincidence that the Portuguese people decided to maintain their options and choices regarding the president for so long. long and the government,” he reflected.
Source: DN
