European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this Thursday wished “every success” to Prime Minister-designate Luis Montenegro, saying she looked forward to working together for the “benefit of Europe as a whole” after the meeting in Brussels.
“I wish him every success as Prime Minister of Portugal. It will benefit Europe as a whole,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
In a message published along with a photograph of both, during a meeting at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, the leader of the community executive said: “Wonderful first meeting with Luis Montenegro. Congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of Portugal.”
“We are living at a defining moment for Europe and I look forward to working with you,” said Ursula von der Leyen.
This morning, during a meeting that lasted about 15 minutes, Luis Montenegro assured the President of the European Commission that there was “no reason” to worry about the country’s political stability, emphasizing its “responsibility” to the European Union.
He also promised to accelerate the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan to “catch up” as he awaits a new tranche for the country later this month.
The prime minister-designate is in Brussels to attend the EPP summit.
After meeting outgoing Prime Minister António Costa to exchange greetings, Luis Montenegro later met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, also from PPE.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, nominated Luis Montenegro for the post of Prime Minister this Thursday during a hearing that took place after midnight.
The 19th PSD president will take over the government – nine years after the party left power in 2015 – with no managerial experience, although he has already publicly stated that he has refused to take up government positions three times (with Santana Lopez and two with Passos Coelho) for family reasons.
Luis Filipe Montenegro Cardoso de Morais Esteves, 51, was born in Porto but has always lived in Espinho (Aveiro) and is a lawyer by profession.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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