The President of the Republic went to Barreiro to drink the usual Christmas ginjinha and took stock of the years in Belém. He says that the pandemic was the most difficult, but recognizes that the year 2023 was also complicated, with a political crisis and the controversial case of the twins. As for this year, he criticizes Parliament for not having yet elected State advisors.
Last Christmas while President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa toasted to peace. THE Chefe of Estate did not miss the usual trip to Barreiro’s ginja. But as he is still recovering from a hernia operation, he went earlier than usual to avoid meeting too many people.
“I’m still in recovery, I still have a lot of scars to heal, inside and out, and, on the other hand, I also wanted to avoid contact that could cause influenza A, which, at this point in my recovery, there was no way”, admitted the President of the Republic.
Not the time to drink ginjinhaMarcelo Rebelo de Sousa toasts “to Barreiro” e “a Portugal”and let wishes for “peace”.
“Peace in the world is fundamental, because peace in the world and in Europe means peace for us. QI mean we don’t have, next year and the following years, the consequences of not having peace, economic, personal, social”he declared.
And, given the latest complications he had, the second wish he leaves behind is for the Portuguese, but also for oneself: “Shealth is fundamental. I wish for myself too, now nthe recovery”.
“AND It is very important that next year and the years to come are of health and better health in our country.”
The pandemic and the case of the twins
This will be Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s last Christmas in Belém, with a new Chief and State taking his place next year. As a farewell, the President of the Republic makes a balance of mandate. And reveals the biggest difficulties he went through – from the pandemic to the case of the twins.
“I think the worst years were the pandemic, parto all of us“, he states.
Already in 2023, he states, a “perfect storm”with the resignation of António Costa and a “political crisis”, while, “at the same time there is a very strong attack, or at least a muted attack, but a very heavy atmosphere on the President of the Republic”.
“In 2013 I arrived here and all we talked about were gandmeas”, he shoots.
Asked if jhe made peace with his son, After this controversy, the President responds: “Not right timing, it will happen”.
Reviews to demora dParliament electing state councilors
But why even nChristmas there is space for political statements, the Head of state criticized the delay in Pparliament to elect state councilorshighlighting that already been waiting for six monthsand said he had called a meeting of the consultative body because Ukraine “is an issue fundamental”.
“The State Council has been unable to function, waiting for the election of State councilors by the Assembly of the Republic for six months. The Assembly has been in office for six months and I have been waiting for six months”, aby the company.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that it does not seem sensible to him that, “when fundamental decisions are being made about Ukraine”, these matters are discussed in the Superior Council for National Defense, but not in the Council of State, when issues such as “Europe’s position in terms of financial support to Ukraine” are at stake, which compromise the State due to the issuance of joint European debt, or “a military or non-Portuguese commitment in the event of a cessation offdegree”.
“No It is very natural for the President of the Republic to leave office without the Council of State, with its composition, which is legal, being unable to assess this matter. And therefore, I waited for this election, which was supposed to be on December 19th. There wasn’t,” aby the company.
The President of the Republic, to analyze the international situation and, in particular, the Ukraine. This It will be the first meeting of the Council of State, a political advisory body for the head of state, since the early legislative elections on May 18th and will take place during the official campaign period for the presidential elections on January 18th.
A last State Council meeting was held more than eight months agoon March 12, for the purposes of dissolving the Assembly of the Republic, following the disapproval of a motion of confidence presented by the first PSD/CDS-PP Government headed by Luís Montenegro.
