Prime Minister-designate Luis Montenegro this Thursday assured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that there is “no reason” to worry about the country’s political stability, guaranteeing “responsibility” to the European Union (EU). .
“There is no reason to question the stability of the country, the stability of the decision of the government, which, although it does not have an absolute majority in the Assembly of the Republic, enjoys the confidence of voters,” Luis Montenegro emphasized.
Speaking to Portuguese journalists in Brussels after a meeting lasting about 15 minutes with Ursula von der Leyen, the leader of this organization and also the head of the list of the European People’s Party (PPE) for the European elections, the PSD president stressed: “There is no reason, no internal , nor external, to doubt the ability of a stable government that responsibly fulfills all its obligations to Portuguese voters, those who chose change on March 10, as well as to international institutions, led by the EU.”
“I had the opportunity to explain to him the context in which I was appointed Prime Minister and at this moment I intend to present to the President of the Republic a proposal for the composition of the government,” said Luis Montenegro.
During this short meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, the first official act after the appointment of the President of the Republic, Luis Montenegro shared “some points of view that [o] also cause concern and motivation in terms of governance in the times ahead,” he told reporters.
The official also assured that he had ensured “the full participation of Portugal in the EU.”
“We have no doubt about the role we have to play in the European Union, in building a more united Europe, more cohesive from a social point of view, capable of providing citizens with a higher quality of life, delivering economic growth, which also ensures that the welfare state is not questionable, when approaching other issues that are important from today’s point of view, support for Ukraine [face à invasão russa]which we have also always faced without any reservations,” he added.
Asked about the first measures to be taken or the composition of the future government, Luis Montenegro refused to go into detail.
The prime minister-designate is in Brussels to attend the EPP summit. After meeting outgoing Prime Minister António Costa to exchange greetings, Luis Montenegro will later meet with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, also from PPE.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, appointed Luis Montenegro as 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 refused to take government positions three times (along 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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