LISBON: The resignation of Portugal‘s Socialist government will be official from Thursday, a month after prime minister Antonio Costa stepped down after being implicated in an influence-peddling probe, the country’s president said.
Costa announced his resignation on November 7, after he was embroiled in a corruption investigation into the awarding of energy-related contracts.
The probe involving Costa and others covers alleged “misuse of funds, active and passive corruption by political figures, and influence peddling,” according to a statement from public prosecutors.
“The last Council of Ministers will be held on (December) 7th, so that on the evening of the 7th, the prime minister will resign”, Portugal’s Conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, told reporters Saturday on the sidelines of a public event in Lisbon.
The head of the Socialist government had already made it clear that he would not seek another term as head of the country he has led since 2015.
He announced his decision following a series of arrests and searches that led to the indictment of his chief of staff and his infrastructure minister.
After accepting Costa’s resignation, the president called early general elections for March 10.
However, Rebelo de Sousa did not at the same time make official the resignation of the Socialist executive, which has an absolute majority in Parliament, to enable it to adopt the budget for 2024.
The budget legislation was finally adopted on November 29. As for the dissolution of Parliament, this will take place on 15 January, he confirmed.
The dissolution of parliament will take place on January 15, the president said.
Costa announced his resignation on November 7, after he was embroiled in a corruption investigation into the awarding of energy-related contracts.
The probe involving Costa and others covers alleged “misuse of funds, active and passive corruption by political figures, and influence peddling,” according to a statement from public prosecutors.
“The last Council of Ministers will be held on (December) 7th, so that on the evening of the 7th, the prime minister will resign”, Portugal’s Conservative President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, told reporters Saturday on the sidelines of a public event in Lisbon.
The head of the Socialist government had already made it clear that he would not seek another term as head of the country he has led since 2015.
He announced his decision following a series of arrests and searches that led to the indictment of his chief of staff and his infrastructure minister.
After accepting Costa’s resignation, the president called early general elections for March 10.
However, Rebelo de Sousa did not at the same time make official the resignation of the Socialist executive, which has an absolute majority in Parliament, to enable it to adopt the budget for 2024.
The budget legislation was finally adopted on November 29. As for the dissolution of Parliament, this will take place on 15 January, he confirmed.
The dissolution of parliament will take place on January 15, the president said.