Former Portuguese PM heads for top European Union job in Brussels

The Portuguese government and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance party have fully endorsed the bid by former Prime Minister António Costa to become the next president of the European Council.

Costa is the favourite for the job as his nomination is also receiving so much support from leaders in other EU countries, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and even Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.

Costa made many key allies when he attended an EU summit in Brussels last December. Yet just a month earlier, he had been obliged to step down as Portugal’s prime minister and head of the Socialist Party (PS) as investigations got underway into alleged irregularities in his government’s handling of several large investment projects. Costa denied any wrong-doing and was never charged.

He is expected to soon replace the current European Council chief, Charles Michel of Belgium, who, has served as the top official responsible since 2019 for organising summits at which the agendas are set for the 27 member states. Costa is said to have all the right credentials, including that of a “pragmatic negotiator,” for the task he is hoping to achieve.

Portugal’s two centrist parties have been rivals since the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Yet Luis Montenegro of the centre-right told a press conference after an informal meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on June 17, that acceptance of Costa of the centre left as president of the Council would garner Portugal’s “unequivocal support.”

Montenegro went on to say: “I can also claim following from what I said to my colleagues from the European People’s Party that this nomination meets all the requirements to be accepted and validated in a final decision.”

António Costa, 62, worked as a lawyer before becoming a member of the Portuguese parliament in 1991. His many positions since then have included mayor of Lisbon, elected in 2007, 2009, and 2013. He was  a minister of the European Committee of the Regions from 2010 to2015, adding to his considerable experience with the European Parliament and Council, before serving as  prime minister from 2015 to 2024.

Costa clearly has a long and probably very successful political career ahead of him.

EUROPEAN ELECTION RESULTS

 

The results of the four-day EU Parliamentary elections across all 27 member states show an overall majority for the centrist parties, despite the predicted surge from the far-right groups. 

The 720 seats in parliament for the next five years will primarily consist of centre-right candidates with 186 seats, and an alliance of socialists and democrats holding 137.

The parliament will be fragmented in that the centrists do not always agree on all matters, and the far-right populists are very much divided in opinions between different countries.

It was a fair election with about 630 million eligible voters. The number of candidates was allocated according to each country’s population.

Portugal has elected its 21 parliamentarians to serve in Brussels The socialist group did best with eight seats, and the centre-right have seven.  The Left , Renew Europe, and the Identify and Democracy groups each have two. Portugal’s far-right missed out altogether. This has been the ninth EU election held in Portugal

Among the exit poll highlights:

The European People’s Party won 186 seats, a gain of 10 over the last parliament.

Socialist groups won 133, down six.

Renew Europe liberals, won 82, down 20.

ECR conservatives and reformists, won 70 seats, up one.

The far-right did especially well in Italy where Prime Minister Giorgie Meloni won a strong majority that boosts her leadership both at home and in Europe.

Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France produced a historic win. It has caused President Emmanuel Macron to suddenly and surprisingly dissolve the French parliament and call a snap national election.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said his country is a beacon of hope for Europe as his centrist pro-Europe Civic Coalition did well in the EU elections.

In Spain, the Socialist Workers Party is vying for first place with the conservative People’s Party. The hard-right is in third place.

 

This summary has been corrected since the exit polls on Sunday night

CUTTING NON-EU IMMIGRATION

Portugal’s new government has announced a plan to restrict immigration for non-European Union citizens. Until now, under previous Socialist administrations, the arrangements have been very open.

The announcement came just days before the European Union elections in which immigration will be one of the hottest topics across all 27-member states.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro aims to put an end to a liberal arrangement whereby immigrants could move into Portugal without an employment contract and only request a residency permit after a year of social security payments. The change will mean that non-EU citizens will no longer be allowed to “abuse” the system. They will need an employment contract to stay here.

The foreign population in Portugal has doubled in the last five years. A million or so people from abroad – roughly a tenth of Portugal’s total population – are now living in this country. Last year, 189,000 immigrants were legally accepted. Many Asian immigrants have found jobs on farms or in restaurants. Around 400,000 immigrant applications are currently pending, according to Montenegro.

“We need people in Portugal willing to help us build a fairer and more prosperous society,” he said this week. “But we cannot go to the other extreme and have wide-open doors.”

Entry of qualified professionals, students, people from Portuguese-speaking countries, and people seeking family reunions will be prioritised.

The move by Montenegro’s centre-right government is still too weak, according to the far-right Chega (Enough) party. Its founder and leader, Andre Ventura, has expressed strong opposition to the presence of non-EU immigrants, particularly from Islamic countries. Similar attitudes are shared by far-right parties across the continent, especially in Germany, where immigrants used to be welcomed before the height of the immigration crisis triggered by Syria’s civil war in 2015, and Italy, which has become the favoured entry point for immigrants illegally crossing the Mediterranean Sea.

The EU has already approved a pact that will see hardened borders and shared responsibilities among member states. EU economy ministers officially signed the landmark Migration and Asylum pact last month. It ended eight years of work to rewrite the rule book for people entering Europe without authorisation. The majority of members backed the 10 pieces of legislation in the agreement. Hungary and Poland opposed it as they have long rejected the idea that all European countries should take in a share of arriving immigrants.

The new rules will only come into effect in 2026. They lay out the process for screening people to establish whether they qualify for some kind of asylum protection, or should be deported.

 

We will up-date readers about the elections over the weekend.

Tightening ties within Europe

Portuguese prime minister and Ukraine president in Lisbon

 

With campaigning at its height  for the European Parliamentary elections, the ferocity of Russian attacks on Ukraine has intensified, and allied intelligence officials are now tracking an increase in Russian low-level sabotage operations in Europe.

The Russian operations could involve fake polls and propaganda fraud. The sabotaging is part of an effort to undermine support for Ukraine, according to intelligence sources. The operations have also involved arson or attempted arson attacks on a wide range of targets, including a warehouse in England, a paint factory in Poland, homes in Latvia, and an IKEA store in Lithuania. So far, no such damage has been reported in Portugal.

Portugal’s Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, has been  to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It was a very cordial meeting.

“We’re both committed to making Portuguese-German relations more intense,” said Mr Montenegro.

“We stand close to many of the challenges posed to Europe,” he said, and went on to praise the support Germany has been giving to Ukraine to defend itself against the Russian invasion.

He added that the Portuguese government was working to reach the “audacious” 2% budget target for defence expenditure as agreed with NATO. “Our commitment to NATO is full. From this perspective, we understand that words alone are not enough. This commitment must be materialised in action.”

The German chancellor said that Portugal had been “a reliable ally” and “a good friend for the European Union.” At the end of the meeting it was announced that there would be boosts to the cultural, economic, and political  relations between the two countries.

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, paid a six-hour working visit to Portugal on Tuesday. It was described as “part of a shared intention to deepen the excellent relations between the two states, with a particular focus on strengthening cooperation in the field of security and defence.” Advance voting for the European Parliamentary elections has just begun (Wednesday May 29). Voting at polling stations will take place between June 6 and 9. Polling stations in Portugal will be open on the last day, the 9^th. The overall turnout for the last EU parliamentary election in 2019 was low: 40.8%. A survey published earlier this year predicted the turnout this time would be significantly higher.

Young people, including first time voters, are being strongly urged to take part. The total number of people casting their ballots in the 27 member states for 720 parliamentary seats could be in excess of 373 million.

More publicity than ever is being given to the prospects of the far-right winning a majority of seats in this election. The populist parties have strong support in Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. However, the far-right remains divided, which may mean relative weakness in Strasbourg and Brussels. The centrists may well prevail.

As we reported recently, to be eligible to vote in Portugal, you need to be over the age of 18 and fit into one of four categories:

+  Portuguese citizens registered on the electoral roll of the national territory.

+  Portuguese citizens residing abroad who have not chosen to vote in another EU country.

+  Citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal who choose to vote for Portuguese members of the European Parliament.

+  Brazilian citizens with a citizen’s card or identity card with equal political rights.

Polling stations will be in municipal council offices or at locations posted on notices in local council offices on voting day.

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS IN JUNE : WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Ursula von der Leyen

The incumber of centrist parties are expected to keep control of the European Union parliament in the June6-9 elections despite a big swing to the far-right.

Ursula von der Leyen, the born-in-Brussels EU commissioner, has declared: “I am ready to keep serving our people and our continent with the passion, confidence and experience needed in these challenging times. I want to build a majority for a strong Europe, because we don’t have the luxury to be weak in the world. Let’s do it together. Let’s stand for democracy prosperity, and security. Let’s fight for our Europe.”

The elections will take place June 6-9 to choose 720 representatives for the parliament in Strasbourg. In Portugal, the election will be on June 9 to choose 21 parliamentarians. Because of their larger populations, eight of the 28 EU countries have more seats in the assembly. Germany tops the list with 96 seats. France has 81.The three smallest nations have only six each.

All of Portugal’s candidates have already been presented by their political parties or coalitions. They were required to be Portuguese citizens, Brazilians with an equal status of political rights, or citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal. The full list is published (in Portuguese) on the website of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It will also be published on June 9 in notices outside and inside the polling stations.

To be eligible to vote you need to be over the age of 18 and fit into one of four categories:

+  Portuguese citizens registered on the electoral roll of the national territory.

+  Portuguese citizens residing abroad who have not chosen to vote in another EU country.

+  Citizens of other EU countries registered in Portugal who choose to vote for Portuguese members of the European Parliament.

+  Brazilian citizens with a citizen’s card or identity card with equal political rights.

 Polling stations will be in municipal council offices or at locations posted on notices in local council offices on voting day.

The biggest change within the EU in the coming elections is a strong shift to far-right populist parties. This will of course be to the detriment of the so-called “super grand coalition” of three centrist groups. A populist coalition of Christian Democrats, conservatives and radical right MEPs might even emerge for the first time as a majority.

The far-right Chega (Enough) party did remarkably well in finishing third in this year’s general election in Portugal .Other far-right parties are doing much better in other EU countries. The shift could be so significant that it impacts  the ability of the European Commissions and Council to make foreign policy decisions, including implementing the next phase of the European Green Deal.

Of huge importance over the next five years of the next EU Parliament’s rule will be maintaining the continent’s defence security in view of the war in Ukraine and uncertainty over the continuing allegiance of the United States.

Make no mistake, these are massively important election coming up.

 

Portugal standing by Ukraine

Peaceful Portugal remains a firm ally of Ukraine, which is now under increasing bombardments, with fears of eventual defeat by Russia

Russia’s advances have intensified so much recently that there are worsening worries in the Western world about Ukraine’s prospects for survival as a sovereign nation.

President Vladimir Putin has been visiting his “friend” Chairman Xi Jinping in China while Russia’s latest electronic warfare techniques have been weakening Ukraine’s air defences provided by the United States and NATO.

Portugal has long been an adherent member of both the European Union and NATO. There has always been a basic agreement on foreign policy between the two main political parties, the centre-right Democratic Alliance and the centre-left Socialist Party, both of which have been running the country alternatively since soon after the Carnation Revolution in 1975.

The foreign policy consensus is as strong as ever, grounded on its European integration alongside its trans-Atlantic solidarity. “Portugal’s European integration is the cornerstone of democratic consolidation, and democracy is the source of legitimacy for Portugal’s accession to the EU,” said Nuno Severiano  Texeira , director of the Portuguese Institute of Foreign Relations, and former defence minister between 2005 and 2009. Only the Communists with little says  in the Portuguese Assembly regard what is going on in Ukraine as merely a “civil war.”

Domestic issues prevail, and so Portugal has only been able to help Ukraine’s war effort financially in a modest way. In terms of military assistance, Portugal has only allocated €70 million. However, Portuga’s military assistance has been noticeable in NATO front-line countries, particularly Romania and the Baltic states

While located on the far west of continental Europe, Portugal is well aware of concerns that should Russia take over Ukraine its aggression may move westward. This could be encouraged should the United States downgrade its economic and military assistance to Ukraine, or no longer be relied upon to support NATO. These are strong  possibilities if Donald Trump is returned to the White House in November’s presidential election

That aside, Daniel Marcos, professor at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences at the new university in Lisbon, is  quoted by Joao Ruela Ribeiro in the “Eastern Europe bi-monthly magazine as saying: “Since the beginning of the Russian aggression , Portugal, following the tradition of transatlantic and European solidarity, has been on Ukraine’s side. First of all by condemning the external aggression which threatened Ukraine’s sovereignty , and secondly by giving its allies who border Russia  assurances that Portugal will be as assertive as possible regarding the security of NATO and EU territory.”

The Eastern European, which is widely read in central as well as eastern EU countries, recognises Portugal’s respect for Ukraine’s war efforts.  It notes that Ukraine is a matter of concern within Portuguese society in general, not only among politicians, but even more so than some other EU countries.

Last July, the president of Ukraine and the prime minister of Portugal, adopted a joint declaration reiterating their “unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s war “

Info from UK Embassy in Lisbon

 

The UK Department of Health and Social Care is strongly advising UK nationals in Portugal who hold an S1 and receive UK health care cover, to confirm their contact details with the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). This will ensure that DHSC can provide all S1 holders with important information regarding their coverage and entitlements. The S1 is the form issued by the UK to state pensioners and other groups such as posted workers, when they need to register for healthcare in Portugal.

 

The request comes as DHSC will be undertaking a programme later this year to check whether there have been changes to the personal circumstances of S1 holders. This will ensure that people who are entitled to healthcare and UK benefits continue to receive them but also that DHSC does not keep paying for cover that is no longer necessary, such as when an S1 holder moves back to the UK. On average, this costs the UK taxpayer approximately £5,300 a year. A UK-insured state pensioner living in Portugal will therefore need to ensure they inform the NHSBSA if their circumstances have changed. 

A spokesperson for the Department stated:

 

“S1 holders need to contact the NHS Business Services Authority to confirm their contact details are up-to-date to ensure they don’t face any issues with their health cover and entitlements should we need to contact them.”

 

The message is directed at all S1 holders, who are mainly state pensioners living in Portugal but also include other groups such as posted workers, who register the S1 form with the Portuguese authorities, once they qualify and are resident in the country.

 

All S1 holders should contact NHSBSA and confirm their contact details on s1applications@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. Alternatively they can be contacted by post at Overseas Healthcare Services, NHSBSA, Bridge House, 152 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6SN, UK. Remember to include your full name and date of birth in any correspondence.