Portugal’s president calls snap elections for March

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced Thursday that the country will hold snap elections on March 10.

The move comes two days after Prime Minister Antonio Costa unexpectedly resigned after being named in a corruption probe.

Costa said he was caught by surprise when police conducted sweeping raids of dozens of buildings across Portugal, including the prime minister’s office and national ministries.

Two members of Costa’s inner circle, including his chief of staff, were among those arrested.

As soon as he got news of the police raids and the reach of the investigation, he submitted his resignation to Rebelo de Sousa.

The president said Costa resigned for “reasons of dignity” and praised his willingness to step down.

“May time allow us to clarify what happened,” Rebelo de Sousa said of the ongoing investigation.

While Costa’s Socialist Party won an absolute majority in an election in 2022, Rebelo de Sousa decided to dissolve the government and call fresh elections instead of appointing a new prime minister.

In his speech, he said Portuguese voters cast their ballots for Costa and a new government would not have been “legitimized” by citizens. So, he said, the Portuguese people will have the final word on what happens next.

The corruption probe, which has sent shockwaves across Portugal this week, centers on the concession of lucrative projects related to the country’s energy transition, such as lithium mines and hydrogen.

Despite the snap elections, Portugal’s president will give the government enough time in functions to pass the 2024 budget. The Socialist Party also has to figure out who will be its next leader.