Antônio Pedro Santos / EPA
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa welcomes António Costa
The President of the Republic had an audience and lunch with the former Prime Minister, to discuss international issues.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza, it received this Thursday, at around 12:35 pm, the president of the European Council and former prime minister, Antonio Costa, at the Palácio de Belém, for an audience followed by lunch.
According to the Presidency of the Republic, the objective of this meeting is for the two to discuss international and European affairs.
Upon arriving at the Belém Palace, in Lisbon, António Costa was received by the head of state in the Sala das Bicas, in front of the media.
As they crossed the room, side by side, the former prime minister asked Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa if he was in a good mood. “Very well prepared”replied the President of the Republic.
As the radio reminds us, this moment at the Belém Palace, made public, is something down – but Marcelo would have purposely shown that he has a good relationship with Costa.
On the radio, Rui Pedro Antunes reinforces that it is very normal for the President of the Republic to meet with the President of the European Council. “The issue with the announcement is that it is particularly relevant: it is the President of the Republic saying that they have an informal relationship, that they are going to have lunch afterwards, and that this is not part of the public agenda. Marcelo made a point of announcing the meeting to demonstrate the better relationship he has with António Costa (comparing to Luís Montenegro)”, explained the political editor.
Almost a month ago, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa referred to the eight years of cohabitation with António Costa as a time that, “compared to what was coming”, will be remembered as “” – although it was little after he spoke about a growing world before pandemics and wars.
Soon after, on the centenary of Mário Soares’ birth, the two were together in a session evocative of the former president of the Republic and António Costa was asked about this statement by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
With the head of state at his side, António Costa responded in a few words: “I tend to be happy, always”.
António Costa took office on November 29th last year as president of the European Council, succeeding the Belgian Charles Michel, a position for which he was chosen on June 27th.
In his address, on Wednesday, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa insisted on the message that it is important to have “strategic cooperation” between the Government and the President of the Republic, which he had already left before the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, on the occasion of Christmas.
“We need the common sense that led us to reinforce institutional solidarity and even strategic cooperation between sovereign bodies, namely the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, to continue, and which also led us to approve the 2024 and 2025 budgets, to continue to guarantee stability, predictability and respect at home and abroad”, declared the President of the Republic.
