Costa checks PS successor candidate and keeps him in government

Lisbon fell asleep on Wednesday with the prospect of having three airports (Portela now, Montijo in four years and finally Alcochete, certainly from 2036) and was left with only what existed yesterday, sold out and (again) without any solution. In between, an incredible succession of news developed, in an internal crisis in the government, unparalleled in the seven years that António Costa has been Prime Minister (PM) – and unimaginably, reigning with an absolute majority.

It all started on Wednesday, when the Minister of Infrastructure, Pedro Nuno Santos, decided to announce the government’s new solution to solve the problem of depletion at Portela airport: a temporary structure to be built in Montijo by 2026. be set up and a final one in Alcochete by 2026. 2036, when Portela was deactivated.

The minister announced this during a meeting with journalists and later in interviews with RTP and SIC. And all this without consulting the Prime Minister (so he said) and admittedly without informing the President of the Republic in advance, because “you don’t have to inform him about everything”. Pedro Nuno Santos also urged in this announcement to throw out something that the Prime Minister has always considered essential: the need for future decisions to be made only after an agreement with the PSD. As he argued, the party’s future leader Luís Montenegro had already “locked himself out” and “we have to decide, it’s over!”

Costa, who was absent from Madrid at the NATO summit, couldn’t believe what was happening. He spoke to the president of the republic and assured him that the problem would be solved.

Yesterday morning, at 9.45 pm, the response of the Prime Minister arrived in the post of the journalists – absolutely surprising, since no one could have imagined that Pedro Nuno Santos had announced the new solution for the airport without agreeing in advance with the head of the government.

António Costa “ordered the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing to withdraw the order published yesterday on the plan to expand airport capacity in the Lisbon region”. In addition, he confirmed that “the solution must be negotiated and agreed upon with the opposition, in particular with the main opposition party, and in no case without prior information to the President of the Republic”. And he also said it is up to him to “ensure the unity, credibility and collegiality of government action”.

In other words, he categorically rejected the Minister of Infrastructure, leading many to believe that, so to speak, there were only two ways to resolve this sudden crisis: either fire Pedro Nuno Santos or force him to resign.

Immediately, requests for the minister’s resignation started pouring in from the opposition and harsh criticism of Costa’s “mismanagement” – criticism that already came with the balance of earlier ones made regarding the crisis of obstetric emergencies in the SNS or the huge queues in an airport already clearly unable to cope with the current peaks of tourist prosperity.

Still in Madrid at around 12:15 p.m., Costa refused to explain to journalists how the problem would be resolved, arguing that he does not talk about national issues abroad. And then he flew to Lisbon. In the morning, the Council of Ministers had met, chaired by Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva – a meeting the Minister of Infrastructure had missed.

At about 3 pm Pedro Nuno Santos then arrives at the prime minister’s residence in Lisbon, summoned by the latter. Ten minutes later, Costa arrived and the two chatted for about 40 minutes. When the minister left, his office announced it would make a statement to journalists at the ministry at 4:30 p.m., “no questions asked.” And what the minister had to say could not have been more surprising.

There had been “errors in communication and articulation” for which they were “fully responsible”. An “unfortunate moment” or even a “relevant failure” – but which, “obviously”, would not “tarnish what is already a long work with the Prime Minister, even before we are government”. And now? Now “of course we want to overcome this moment, resume cooperation, build our trusting relationship and work”. And yes, in a framework of “consensus” with the PSD (exactly the opposite of what I had said on Wednesday). So don’t resign.

All “on the right track”

The next episode was performed at 6pm by the head of government himself, as he spoke with journalists before visiting the MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology) accompanying French President, Emmanuel Macron, in Lisbon to participate in the Summit of the Oceans.

Costa explained that “to err is human” and tried to close the case (“everything is back and on the right track!”), but not without blaming his infrastructure minister for a “serious mistake”. Despite this, he emphasized, “the trust [no ministro] has fully recovered” and it is now a matter of getting with the opposition, or at least the PSD, a “great national agreement” for the construction of the new airport, without a final solution.

In other words, the process of confirming Pedro Nuno Santos as the strongest candidate for his succession in the PS leadership, the Prime Minister has chosen to keep him in government, despite (or because of) he is now clearly weakened in his political authority. And now all he wants to do is open negotiations with the new PSD leader, Luís Montenegro, once he takes full charge of his duties, which will happen on Sunday, when the congress that the party’s new governing bodies will attend is over. .

The day ended as it could not: with the President of the Republic (PR) commenting on the matter. Speaking (no questions asked) at the Palácio de Belém, Marcelo recalled that he is not responsible for the ministers (“it is the prime minister who chooses his assistants and is responsible for them”). He then explained what he wants about the new Lisbon airport: a “quick” decision, a “consensual” decision and a “consistent” decision. And no more said.

joao.p.henriques@dn.pt