The President of the Republic said this Thursday that António Costa was his favorite to head the PS, held him responsible for his dismissal and believes that he has the conditions to preside over the European Council and that he would also be a good candidate for presidents.
Marcelo Rebelo de Souza spoke to reporters outside the Alcoitan Rehabilitation Medicine Center in the municipality of Cascais, Lisbon district, after participating in the program “Christmas of Hospitals” broadcast by RTP.
When asked if he has a favorite in the election campaign for the leadership of the PS, the head of state replied: “Yes, there is. It was Dr. Antonio Costa. He was my favorite. That’s the one I would prefer.”
Asked if he regretted the decision, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa held the prime minister responsible for his dismissal: “No, the decision was made by Dr. António Costa.
It was he who decided to leave, not me. “He made the decision to leave due to circumstances known to us.” “It was he who announced that he was leaving. It wasn’t me who told him: look, go away. No, he told me: in view of this, I cannot in good conscience stay,” continued Marcelo Rebelo de Souza. “The decision I made next was a consequence, not a cause of his decision,” he confirmed.
Then, confronted with the opinion of Francisco Assis that António Costa would be very useful as President of the European Council, the President of the Republic agreed: “Ah, but I have no doubts.
The Prime Minister has exceptional European authority and, speaking to members of various European political groups, it is clear that he has the conditions to be President of the European Council himself, so he understands that he has internal conditions.”
Regarding the possible candidacy of António Costa for the presidency of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa responded: “You have to ask Dr. António Costa, he is the one who must choose the future, having several possible futures. It’s not me, I have to manage it.” future immediate period of approximately two years.”
“People ask me: in two years, will he be a good presidential candidate? I say yes, if he is not the President of the European Council. If he is president of the European Council, he cannot be both at the same time,” he added.
According to the President of the Republic, it would be impossible to dissuade António Costa from resigning: “How to dissuade a person who has a very, very deep conviction that this is the only correct way out in his life? It’s impossible, it’s impossible.”
“Imagine if I was in a position where I said, ethically, behaviorally, morally, politically, I think I should leave. You can give ten arguments, but the person will remain to himself,” he argued.
Asked if he had given António Costa any arguments for not resigning, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said the prime minister, meanwhile, “said that knowing what he knows today, he probably accepted anyway would have the same decision.”
In an interview with TVI on Monday, the prime minister admitted that he could have resigned later after learning that money had been found in the office of his chief of staff. “This could have prompted me to make such a decision, or I would have waited for the assessment of the investigating judge, I cannot tell you,” he said.
Regarding the Prime Minister’s resignation, the President also said: “It was so unexpected for all of us that it caused a shock in public opinion.”
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa refused to comment on the internal audit report requested by the Board of Directors of the Central Hospital University of Lisbon Norte on the case of Portuguese-Brazilian twins treated at the Santa Maria Hospital, saying that “it is a document that therefore will still be subject to other official bodies ” and which “will likely move to the Office of the Attorney General (PGR).”
“Let’s wait until reality sets in,” he advised.
When asked whether the President of the Republic was aware of the lists of residents and non-residents of Portugal awaiting a response from the Santa Maria Hospital regarding the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied that he was not, and that this concerned the case of Portuguese-Brazilian twins, he limited himself to reading “internal documents with the position of the Civil Chamber.”
The head of state confirmed that he would not talk about the case with his son Nuno Rebelo de Sousa, arguing that “those who must clarify are those who are conducting the investigation.”
“After that I will react accordingly,” he said.
Regarding the impact of this case on his popularity, he noted that “popularity is the most unstable thing in life” and had already fallen at other times.
In his opinion, “the Portuguese have behaved very consistently” and in the current circumstances, in which it has been “news for two months, morning, afternoon, night”, maintaining a “solid core of 50% of the Portuguese” with a favorable opinion of “miracle “
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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