Something fundamental seems to have changed in the so far peaceful coexistence between the President of the Republic (PR) and the Prime Minister (PM). Now the two communicate in writing, in letters that remain secret, with a distance and formalism never before seen between the two.
“I will propose to the President of the Republic that we succeed in establishing a circuit between my proposal and the appointment of members of the government, which will allow us to avoid ignoring facts that we cannot know and guarantee greater transparency and confidence of everyone at the time of appointment.”
The starting signal for this new way of communicating was given by the Prime Minister. This Friday morning, António Costa announced through Lusa that he had written a letter to the PR the night before explaining the novelty that had emerged in Parliament that afternoon: the creation of a mechanism for examining the “registration” of personalities invited to join the government before they were formally appointed. Or, in other words, a mechanism designed to prevent the repetition of cases such as those of Miguel Alves (Deputy Secretary of State to the Prime Minister), Alexandra Reis (Secretary of State for Finance) and Carla Alves (Secretary of State for Agriculture). ), all forced to resign due to the revelation of affairs from their past.
The president cannot replace the prime minister [e] when the president starts forming governments himself, the system becomes presidential.”
“I will propose to the President of the Republic that we succeed in establishing a circuit between my proposal and the appointment of members of the government, which will allow us to avoid ignoring facts that we cannot know and guarantee greater transparency and confidence of everyone at the time of appointment,” António Costa announced in Parliament.
Hours later, on Thursday evening, PR’s response was a resounding ‘no’, even insinuating that the head of government was insultingly trying to make him co-responsible for government choices: ‘The president cannot replace the prime minister. [e] when the president starts forming governments himself, the system becomes presidential.”
Marcelo strongly rejected the idea, further arguing in his statements on Thursday evening that this mechanism “to investigate legality, constitutionality or impediments related to who is appointed to certain positions” should, if it exists, work “before the government presents the proposal [ao Presidente da República]”. “I think all that is to improve the degree of pre-control of what bursts next is a complication, because there is already an agreement and then it is necessary to perform functions at the beginning with a political vulnerability or even for replacement, anything done in this sense must be done before, even before the President of the Republic receives the Prime Minister’s proposal,” he insisted.
Faced with the resounding “no” from the President of the Republic, the government had to take a step back. This Friday, during the conference in honor of Expresso’s 50th anniversary at the Champalimaud Foundation, the Minister of the Presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva, clarified that “it is not the intention to pass control to the President”. Rather, it is “that there is a time before the appointment to access information outside the government that the government does not have” because “it is restricted in accessing non-public information”, namely information from a “judicial, fiscal or contributory character”.
“Some of the things that are requested are not things that a member of the government can access”, for privacy reasons and these “details” usually arrive “by other means later with other sources”. So, he concluded, what is needed is a “formal” and “out-of-government” mechanism.
“I will not answer the prime minister on television. That would be rude.”
It was up to the President of the Republic to conclude this conference. Marcelo did so and then, in response to journalists, returned to comment on the mechanism proposed by the Prime Minister to prevent skeletons in the closet. He did this by saying that, as Costa had explained to him in a letter, it was also in a letter that he had answered him, having taken a few “zeals” (he did not specify which ones). As for the contents of the letter, he did not disclose: “I will not respond to the prime minister on television. That would be rude.”
Be that as it may, it has always been said that in this preliminary examination of the elect “it is not possible” for political power to have access to facts under judicial secrecy. And again he emphasized that he is not jointly responsible for the choices resulting from “the political judgments of the Prime Minister”. As for control, he again relied on journalism: “Control belongs to the media.”
“The President of the Republic, faced with what seemed to many to be a chorus of criticism regarding the administration that almost pointed to dissolution, said: No, do not count on dissolution. Now it is fundamental that the government governs and rules well.”
Marcelo also took the opportunity to reaffirm his firm commitment to the idea of stability. Clearer than ever – and defending himself of “total institutional stability”, he assured: “The President of the Republic, faced with what seemed to many to be a chorus of criticism regarding the administration that almost pointed to dissolution, said: no , do not count on dissolution. Now it is essential that the government govern and govern well.” In his view, this political stability is absolutely necessary at least this year, since it will be the last without elections before the Legislative (October 2026). “No, don’t count on that. They count on me having the same institutional behavior I’ve had for seven years,” he insisted, also underscoring the importance of using this time at full throttle to “PRR- funds.” .
Questioned by journalists, Marcelo also ultimately considered the resignation of Secretary of State for Agriculture Carla Alves an “obsolete issue” – that is, he does not ask about the head of the portfolio minister, Maria do Céu Antunes. Costa had said the same thing moments before in Braga – where he was going to visit another PRR-funded project – “The case is closed.”
This Friday, Público reported that before taking office, Carla Alves informed her minister of her husband’s legal problem (Américo Pereira, accused of several crimes allegedly committed when he was mayor of Vinhais). The cabinet of the minister assured the opposite in a statement: Maria do Céu Antunes “was not aware of any involvement of Carla Alves in legal proceedings”.
Source: DN
