Paulo Rangel blames Antonio Costa for the crisis and demands political explanations

PSD Vice President Paulo Rangel this Monday held the Prime Minister responsible for the political crisis resulting from his resignation and called on him to give the Portuguese a political explanation for the choice of his former chief of staff.

“It was the prime minister who resigned. Thus, the crisis was created by the prime minister and also, ultimately, by his choice,” the Social Democratic leader told Lusa in Strasbourg.

This is how Paulo Rangel reacted to the statements made this Monday by António Costa to CNN/Portugal about his participation in the judicial investigation that led to his dismissal as Prime Minister on November 7th.

In these statements, António Costa confirmed this Monday that he would have done the same if he had chosen his resignation and proposed to ask the same question to the Attorney General of the Republic and Marcelo Rebel de Sousa.

“What we can do is ask whoever made that statement, whoever made the subsequent decision to dissolve the Assembly of the Republic, whether they would have done the same, given what they know today,” the chief executive said.

According to the PSD vice-president, these statements “raise great bewilderment and concern”, arguing that they represent an attempt to condition justice – a criticism that has already been expressed by Social Democratic leader Luis Montenegro.

Stressing that the judicial issue should be left to the discretion of the courts, Paulo Rangel noted that the Prime Minister continues to refuse to give the Portuguese political explanations in this case.

“There is one thing that needs to be explained. Would you, Prime Minister, have appointed the same chief of staff if you knew what you know today?” also hold him accountable.

“Frankly, I think the Prime Minister needs a political explanation. Let’s let justice do its work, but in politics he has to explain why he made that choice because it had consequences in this case and that’s what led to his dismissal,” he said.

According to Rangel, to give these explanations, António Costa does not need to go to parliament, but simply “answer in an interview or at a press conference.”

“In any country in the democratic world, if the head of the prime minister’s office were found with such a large amount of cash in his official office, it would lead to the resignation of the prime minister. It has nothing to do with communications,” he said. Social Democratic Vice President.

On November 7, for the first time in the history of Portuguese democracy, the official residence of the Prime Minister, namely the workroom of former chief of staff Victor Escaria, was searched as part of a judicial investigation into the installation of a data center. in Sines and lithium and hydrogen business.

A few hours later, the last paragraph of the statement from the Attorney General’s Office announced that the Prime Minister was the subject of an independent investigation opened in the Supreme Court based on this investigation.

In an address to the country, António Costa declared himself with his “head held high” and his “clear conscience” but declared that “the dignity of the role of prime minister is incompatible with any suspicion about his honesty, his integrity.” behavior and, moreover, with suspicion of committing any criminal act.”

After the Prime Minister’s resignation, it was reported that more than 75,000 euros in cash had been found during searches carried out in Vitor Escaria’s office, prompting the executive leader to say in a second address to the country that he was embarrassed and apologized to the Portuguese.