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The Prime Minister (center-right), Luís Montenegro, had lunch with António Costa (socialist) at the official residence of S. Bento on Monday, in the first meeting between the two after the Portuguese election to the presidency of the European Council.

This was the first meeting between Luís Montenegro and António Costa after the Heads of State and Government of the European Union chose the former socialist Prime Minister as President of the European Council for a term of two and a half years starting on December 01, 2024, last Thursday.

António Costa is the first Portuguese and the first socialist to head the European Council.

Montenegro never hid his support for António Costa for that high European position since he came to the Government in early April, and Costa thanked the current Prime Minister immediately after the election last Thursday.

In a post on the social network X, Montenegro congratulated the former Prime Minister on his election as President of the European Council, expressing hope for a “more cohesive and capable of building bridges” European Union (EU).

“The European Council has a new President. I congratulate António Costa on behalf of the Government of Portugal,” the Prime Minister wrote in a post on the social network X.

“Europe faces great challenges and we will count on everyone to defend a more cohesive European Union, capable of building bridges so that States can give people the answers they need,” Luís Montenegro said in the message.

The elected President of the European Council, António Costa, meanwhile, stated on the same social network that he will assume the position with a “huge sense of mission” committed to promoting unity among the 27 member states and the Strategic Agenda for the next five years.

“It is with a huge sense of mission that I will assume the responsibility of being the next President of the European Council. I thank the members of the European Council for the trust they placed in me by electing me, as well as the Party of European Socialists and the Government of Portugal for their support in this decision,” António Costa wrote.