The outgoing prime minister today gave assurances to Brussels that the country will continue to be aligned with the European Union (EU) project, despite the transition of government and the growth of the extreme right.
“People are all curious to know what’s going to happen. The fundamental explanation is: the two main parties, which have been the basis of Portugal’s support for the European project, remain largely in the majority,” said António Costa, at the end of a meeting with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The outgoing prime minister added that “Chega himself, unlike other far-right parties in other European countries, has never campaigned against the EU, exploiting any attitude of Euroscepticism”.
António Costa recalled that the party led by André Ventura, which has seen its parliamentary caucus grow from 12 to at least 48 MPs in just two years, supported from the outset the support given by the 27 to Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
And the Portuguese population “is one of the most pro-European in Europe,” added the outgoing prime minister.
“The European institutions have good reason to be totally calm from that point of view [Euroscepticism propagated by the far right], as far as the change of government is concerned, there will be no change in European policy or foreign policy,” he concluded.
Costa starts meetings in Brussels today with the European Commission and NATO
April 25: António Costa participates in cultural initiatives Friday and Saturday in Paris
