Parliament unanimously approved the President of the Republic’s trip to Switzerland from June 11 to 13 to celebrate Portugal Day with the Portuguese emigrant communities in Geneva and Zurich.
In aletteraddressed to the Assembly of the Republic, dated April 10, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa states that he plans to travel to Switzerland “between June 11 and 13, on an official visit, “to participate in the celebrations of the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities in Geneva and Zurich”.
The head of state adds that during this trip he will also “take part in a meeting with the Federal President [of Switzerland] in Bern”.
The Prime Minister and President of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, has already said that he will join the President of the Republic in celebrating Portugal Day in Switzerland.
Earlier, on June 8, in Portugal, the Day of Portugal celebrations will take place in Pedrógão Grande, Figueiró dos Vinhos and Castanheira de Pera, municipalities in the Leiria district affected by the 2017 fires.
The official ceremony on June 10 will take place in Pedrógão Grande and later, in Coimbra, there will also be a solemn session commemorating the 500th anniversary of the birth of the poet Luís de Camões.
When he took over as head of state in 2016, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa launched, in conjunction with the then prime minister, António Costa, and with the participation of both, an unprecedented model of double celebrations of June 10, first in Portugal and then with Portuguese communities abroad.
In 2016 the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities was celebrated between Lisbon and Paris, in 2017 between Porto and Brazil, in 2018 between the Azores and the United States of America and in 2019 between Portalegre and Cape Verde.
In 2020, due to the covid-19 pandemic, only one ceremony was held at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, and in 2021 there were also only celebrations on national territory, in Madeira.
In 2022 the commemorations were held in Braga and the United Kingdom and in 2023 in Peso da Régua, Vila Real district, and South Africa.
The consent of the Assembly of the Republic to the head of state’s trips abroad is a formality imposed by the Constitution, which establishes that the President of the Republic cannot leave national territory without authorization from parliament.