Montenegro says it will “lead by example” and vote early on June 2.

Luis Montenegro said this Friday that he will “set an example” for the Portuguese and vote early in the European elections on June 2, a week before the official trip to the polls scheduled for June 9.

“To be Portuguese is to be European. To be European means to care about the future of us all,” Montenegro said, adding that Portugal “shares common values ​​and is interested in preserving peace.” The Prime Minister intends to make the country “a benchmark in the world for democracy, respect for human rights and social well-being.”

The announcement was made this afternoon at a press conference following the prime minister’s meeting with Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, in Sao Bento.

According to Roberta Metsola, the central topic of the meeting was the European elections. The President of the European Parliament called on the democracies of the 27 EU member states to “ensure the protection of democratic values ​​and promote mass participation in voting.” European elections will take place from 6 to 9 June.

In the end, Luís Montenegro was surprised by Roberta Metsola’s proposal, a framed photograph showing PSD founder Francisco Sá Carneiro and former SDS-PP leader Diogo Freitas do Amaral, during Portugal’s accession process to the EU. The European Union, in 1986, was then called the EEC – European Economic Community.

The Prime Minister thanked the President of the European Parliament “for all the help she has given Portugal” in recent years.

“This evidence of friendship and willingness to cooperate with Portugal, whether in the functioning of the European Parliament or even in the judicial system, was very relevant. I want to thank you very, very deeply on behalf of the Portuguese government,” he said.