Government of Portugal between 2022 and 2024, led by Antonio Costa
The
XXIII Constitutional Government of Portugal
(
Portuguese
:
XXIII Governo Constitucional de Portugal
) was the 23rd government of the
Third Portuguese Republic
under the
current Constitution
, and had
Antonio Costa
as the
Prime Minister
, in his third consecutive term. It was in office from 30 March 2022 to 2 April 2024 and was formed by members of the
Socialist Party
(PS).
[1]
It was the second PS government to have
absolute majority of seats
in the Legislature, after the
first government of Jose Socrates
, between 2005 and 2009. It was composed of 17 ministers and 40 secretaries of state.
Composition
[
edit
]
The government was initially composed of the Prime Minister and 17 ministries comprising ministers, secretaries, and sub-secretaries of state. On 3 January 2023, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing was split into the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Housing, increasing the number of ministries to 18.
[2]
[3]
Events
[
edit
]
Resignation of Antonio Costa
[
edit
]
On 7 November 2023, Portuguese prosecutors detained
Antonio Costa
's chief of staff
Vitor Escaria
and named the minister of Infrastructure
Joao Galamba
a formal suspect in an investigation into alleged corruption in
lithium
mining,
green hydrogen
and a
data centre
deals. Over 40 searches were carried out in several buildings, including Escaria's office, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action
.
[5]
Costa met with the
President of Portugal
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
and announced his resignation in a televised statement in the afternoon, saying that "the dignity of the functions of prime minister is not compatible with any suspicion about his integrity, his good conduct and even less with the suspicion of the practice of any criminal act".
[6]
On 9 November 2023, after meeting with the
Council of State
and talking with the political parties represented in the
parliament
, president Rebelo de Sousa announced
snap legislative elections
to be held on 10 March 2024. Because the 2024
government budget
debate was still underway in the parliament and, by law, elections need to be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the parliament, president Rebelo de Sousa officially dissolved the parliament more than two months later, on 15 January 2024.
[7]
[8]
On 2 April 2024, the new center-right minority government, led by Prime Minister
Luis Montenegro
, took office to succeed Antonio Costa, resulting from the slim victory of the
Democratic Alliance
in the snap
election
.
[9]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Not including the Prime Minister.
- ^
Not including the resignation of the Prime Minister.
- ^
Position replaced by the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Housing on 4 January 2023.
- ^
a
b
Position created on 4 January 2023.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Hatton, Barry (30 March 2022).
"Portugal's new govt sees EU aid as firing up economic growth"
.
Associated Press
. Retrieved
7 August
2023
.
- ^
"Government Composition"
.
www.portugal.gov.pt
. Retrieved
27 October
2023
.
- ^
"Joao Galamba vai ser ministro das Infraestruturas e Marina Goncalves fica com novo Ministerio da Habitacao"
.
Expresso
(in Portuguese). 2 January 2023
. Retrieved
27 October
2023
.
- ^
Portuguesa, Presidencia da Republica.
"Primeiro-Ministro assume funcoes de Ministro das Infraestruturas e Presidente da Republica aceita nomeacao de Secretario de Estado Adjunto e das Infraestruturas"
.
www.presidencia.pt
(in European Portuguese)
. Retrieved
15 November
2023
.
- ^
Demony, Catarina; Rua, Patricia Vicente; Goncalves, Sergio; Demony, Catarina (7 November 2023).
"Portuguese PM to address lithium probe as minister named suspect in graft case"
.
Reuters
. Retrieved
7 November
2023
.
- ^
"Portugal's PM Costa resigns over corruption investigation"
.
Reuters
. 7 November 2023
. Retrieved
7 November
2023
.
- ^
Goncalves, Sergio; Demony, Catarina; Demony, Catarina (9 November 2023).
"Portugal president calls March snap election, leaves time to pass budget"
.
Reuters
. Retrieved
9 November
2023
.
- ^
"E oficial: Presidente Marcelo decreta a 9.ª dissolucao do Parlamento"
.
SIC Noticias
(in Portuguese). 15 January 2024
. Retrieved
29 March
2024
.
- ^
"Portugal's new government aims to outmanoeuvre radical populist rivals"
.
euronews
. 2 April 2024.