The Portuguese prime minister spoke to UN News about the opportunities and challenges in politics: internally, he is betting on the expectation of seeing a woman at the helm of government in the future, if the Portuguese choose to do so.
In foreign policy, Costa is in favor of expanding the exchange between young people from the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, Corporal.
Reconstruct broke denomination
Antonio Costa was interviewed UN news at the end of September, when he participated in the debate of international leaders at the General Assembly.
Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa. Photo: UN//Mark Garten.
“Portugal is really proud. A week ago, the government was equal at the level of ministers. There was a small alteration in which parity was violated. In short, the prime ministers and presidents of the republic will be chosen by the Portuguese. I really hope that I will have a woman prime minister again. One already was. And who knows if there will be another one in the future. Let’s see.”
According to the government website, there are eight women in Costa’s current cabinet of 17 ministers. At the second level, there are 12 secretaries of state.
The only head of government in Portuguese history remained in office for about six months. María de Lourdes Pintasilgo was appointed by President Ramallo Eanes to the post and became the first and only woman to serve as prime minister. At that time, she was second in Western Europe after Margaret Thatcher, who came to power in 1979 and left in 1990.
In the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic, out of 230 seats, 85 are held by women and 145 by men.
Crescent movement
António Costa also mentioned Portugal’s cooperation with the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, Cplp, and said that consolidating his position is one of the tasks that should remain a priority in the block of nine countries.
Flags of Portuguese speaking countries. Photo: cplp
“I see great opportunities to promote Cplp as an international political issue. I have noticed that there is a growing movement of countries wishing to become CPLP observers because they have realized that, unlike other international organizations, the CPLP must be geographically global. Almost every continent has a CPLP country. The fact that he has a great capacity for political articulation, and this is very beneficial. We supported each other in various international positions. This gives a very significant relative weight to the CPLP countries.”
Costa emphasized that the group of nations is connected not only by past relationships. Angola has been chairing the bloc since 2021.
“We must significantly improve economic relations. I think of many countries as examples of how relationships can be reinvented after such a long colonial period. By the way, longer than most others. So tough: we should not forget that for three years and at least on three fronts an absurd colonial war was waged, which ended only in 1974. So the ability is that we had the ability to reinvent ourselves in our relationships.”
Communication between young people
Costa also advocates for greater connection between young people from Member States who have a network and space to think about.
Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo: UN Radio/Leda Letra
“Many European countries that I see see this relationship with Cplp as an interesting experience in overcoming and rethinking new relationships. And there is a big problem that we have: new generations. Fortunately, new generations have fewer memories, but also fewer connections with each other. We must create mechanisms to maintain these relations, and therefore I think that the mobility agreement is very important in order for these relations to continue to strengthen between our peoples.”
The purpose of the future mobility system is to establish short-stay, temporary and residence visas between Member States.
This year in New York there was no meeting of the leaders of the bloc, traditionally organized on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
