Metsola and Pedro Nuno exchange gifts together at PS headquarters about Mario Soares.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, met with PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos this morning and they exchanged gifts, a common reference to the former President of the Republic, Mário Soares.

In the first public moment of the day of her visit to Lisbon this Friday, the President of the European Parliament arrived in Largo do Rato a few minutes after 9:30 am and was greeted at the door by the Secretary General PS Pedro. Nuno Santos.

After exchanging good mornings and greetings, they left for the meeting at PS headquarters.

At the end of this meeting, which lasted less than half an hour, they both went to see Jardim Mario Soares, and it was the founder of the PS and former President of the Republic who was the center of the exchange of gifts between Pedro Nuno Santos and Roberta Metsola.

The leader of the Socialist Party presented the President of the European Parliament with a work by Bordallo Pinheiro from the Os Figurões collection, which depicts Mário Soares covered with a huge red carnation.

Metsola gave Pedro Nuno Santos a black and white photograph of Mario Soares during the then Prime Minister’s visit to Strasbourg in March 1977 during the second round of negotiations between member states of the then EEC to drum up support for membership. Portugal.

After the usual photographs and Pedro Nuno Santos pointing out to Metsola that this was exactly the garden of Mário Soares by pointing to a sign pointing to it, the President of the European Parliament left the PS headquarters to continue the busy agenda dedicated to this Friday for the Portuguese. capital.

Roberta Metsola will visit Portugal this Friday to encourage people to vote in the European elections on June 9, meet the Prime Minister and President of the Republic, and receive a doctorate honoris causa from the University of Lisbon.

This morning, Maltese politicians will hold a working meeting with the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco.

In the afternoon, Metsola is received by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and then by the head of government, Luis Montenegro, followed by a press conference.

Since the start of the year, Roberta Metsola has been traveling to European Union (EU) member states to call for an abstention vote, an initiative that includes a trip to Portugal.

“Portugal is a country where I always feel at home. I am grateful to be back to raise awareness of the upcoming European Parliament elections in June and encourage Portuguese people, especially young people, to vote,” she said. President of the European Assembly in a statement sent to Lusa.

Stressing that Portugal is a pro-European country, the European official said that “the Portuguese are aware at a high level of the role that Europe plays in their lives, and it is important that they express this clearly on European election day.” (…) Europe is counting on everyone,” the culprit also addressed Lusa in a statement.

European elections will be held in 27 EU countries from June 6 to 9.

In Portugal they are scheduled for June 9, and in an interview with Lusa magazine published last September, Roberta Metsola admitted that holding European elections at this time “is a challenge” for the country as they are tied to public holidays, which could potentially lead to an increase in the number of abstentions. .

However, he argued that turnout depends on the campaign that will be conducted.