It is a revenge for the former Portuguese Prime Minister (2015-2023) Antonio Costa. The European heads of state and government chose to appoint the socialist leader to the presidency of the European Council, Thursday, June 27. At 62, his moderate profile, combining the classic values of social democracy and an orthodox approach to the economy, convinced the Twenty-Seven.
Nothing was won until ten days ago. ” It’s certain, [Antonio Costa] is competent. But we need to clarify the legal context”launched Donald Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister (EPP, right) on June 17, referring to the legal setbacks which forced Mr. Costa to resign as head of the Portuguese government on November 7, 2023.
The case had, however, deflated for several weeks and no longer seemed to represent an obstacle to the nomination of the Portuguese. Certainly, Mr. Costa’s chief of staff, Vitor Escaria, the great friend of the former prime minister, the businessman Diogo Lacerda Machado, as well as the former Minister of Infrastructure Joao Galamba and six other people remain under investigation for alleged acts of influence peddling linked to calls for tenders for a data center, prospecting for lithium mines and a green hydrogen production center. But the possible facts of corruption and abuse of power have been dismissed.
Above all, the investigation opened by the Attorney General’s Office against Antonio Costa himself eight months ago, which forced him to present his resignation by “respect for the dignity of his functions” but the ” conscience clear ” while he had two years of mandate remaining and a solid absolute socialist majority in the Assembly, did not result in his indictment. Worse, she was strongly criticized by the investigating judge and the Lisbon Court of Appeal for her lack of“serious clues”. Its political consequences were serious. The early elections held in the aftermath resulted in the victory of the Social Democratic Party (PSD, centre-right), led by Luis Montenegro, and the end of the eight-year Costa government.
Pressure from Christian Democrats
By casting doubt on the appointment of Antonio Costa on 17 June, the Christian Democrats of the EPP wanted above all to raise the stakes in the negotiations between the Twenty-Seven on the European “top jobs” (Commission and Council presidencies, head of European diplomacy). The EPP, which is the leading political force in Europe – it has twelve heads of state or government at the Council table and won seats in the European Parliament following the elections of 9 June, unlike the Social Democrats (S&D) and even more so the liberals of Renew – tried to have more than what was expected, namely the presidency of the Commission, in the person of Ursula von der Leyen, and that of the European Parliament, for the first half of the mandate.
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