PM Costa takes over as foreign minister for last two days
António Costa was sworn in as minister of foreign affairs on Monday, on a transitional basis, until the 22nd government ceases functions on Wednesday.
Portugal’s Prime Minister, António Costa, was sworn in as minister of foreign affairs on Monday, on a transitional basis, until the 22nd government ceases functions on Wednesday so that Augusto Santos Silva can take up his post as a member of parliament and run for speaker of the Portuguese parliament.
In the Ambassadors’ Hall of the Belém Palace in Lisbon, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, also swore in the secretaries of state of European affairs, Ana Paula Zacarias, of foreign affairs and cooperation, Francisco André, and of Portuguese communities, Berta Nunes, all three of whom were reappointed.
Present at this short ceremony, which lasted less than four minutes, were the outgoing speaker of parliament, Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, and the minister of the presidency, Mariana Vieira da Silva. At the end of the greetings session, Augusto Santos Silva received a prolonged hug from António Costa.
The 22nd government will cease its functions in two days, but before that, the new legislature will begin on Tuesday, with the first plenary session scheduled for 10 am and the election of the speaker of parliament at 3 pm.
The next day, Wednesday, at 5 pm, the 23rd Constitutional Government will be sworn in, with João Gomes Cravinho – until now minister of defence – as minister of foreign affairs and a team of three secretaries of state.
Francisco André will keep the foreign affairs and cooperation portfolio, the Portuguese communities portfolio will remain with Paulo Cafôfo and the internationalisation portfolio with Bernardo Ivo Cruz.
Today, besides Augusto Santos Silva, the outgoing secretary of state for internationalisation, Eurico Brilhante Dias, proposed by António Costa as leader of the PS in the new legislature, has already been exonerated.
Berta Nunes, who was elected to parliament for Bragança, and Ana Paula Zacarias will also leave executive functions in two days.
In the structure of the next government, European affairs will depend directly on the Prime Minister, with Tiago Antunes as secretary of state.
Today, after his resignation as a minister, Augusto Santos Silva may take office on Tuesday, the first day of the 15th legislature, as a member of parliament, elected for the Out of Europe constituency, and run for speaker of parliament, with the support of the PS (Socialist Party).
