Marcelo celebrates Portugal Day in London without Costa’s company
The President of the Republic celebrates Portugal Day this Friday, in London, with the Portuguese community in the United Kingdom, but this time without the usual company of the Prime Minister, who canceled his presence for health reasons.
An official executive source told the Lusa news agency that, during the celebrations in London, the Government will be chosen by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Crainho.
On Thursday, in the middle of the afternoon, the prime minister’s office released a note in which it says that António Costa could not participate in the celebrations of the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities, first in Braga, then in London. , for health reasons.
The day before, Wednesday, the leader of the executive had already canceled his agenda in Santarém, but, on Wednesday, no official explanation was given by his office.
In Braga, in statements to journalists, Marcelo Rebere de Sousa warned that the prime minister’s health problem was “not one of concern or grave”, but added that his presence at the celebrations would be “sensible” from a medical point of view.
When the head of State, in 2016, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa launched, in collaboration with António Costa, and with the participation of both, an unprecedented model of double celebrations of 10 June, first in Portugal and then in Portuguese communities abroad.
In 2016 they took place between Lisbon and Paris, in 2017 between Porto and Brazil, in 2018 between the Azores and the United States of America and in 2019 between Portalegre and Cape Verde. In 2020 and last year, because of the covid-19 pandemic, Marcelo and Costa suspended their participation in 10 de Junho outside the country.
This year will be the first time that the two will not be together due to the personal impediment of one of them.
Coming from Braga, where the institutional celebrations of the 10th of June are taking place, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa arrives in London and immediately has a reception with representatives of the Portuguese communities for the Day of Portugal – the occasion on which he speaks.
Not regarding the reasons for choosing the United Kingdom for the external celebrations of 10 June, the head of state recently mentioned that the model for commemorating the Day of Portugal with emigrant communities “began in Paris, in 2016”, in the first year of its principal, “has been traveling across the continents” since then and “it was now time to return to Europe”.
According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, “it also played a role” in the decision of the United Kingdom to now be “a country that is not the European Union” and where “very different communities” of Portuguese emigrants live: “An older, older community, this Friday, less numerous fair”; and another “very young”, by “students, doctoral candidates, professors, researchers, scientists and other professionals”.
This heterogeneity of the Portuguese community residing in the United Kingdom was also highlighted to the Lusa agency by the socialist deputy Paulo Pisco, elected by the circle of Europe.
According to Paulo Pisco, as a result of “Brexit”, around 420,000 people would apply for residence permits in the United Kingdom, of which a part can work “traditionally” in the hotel, restaurant or agro-industry sectors, and another part is composed of a significant number of researchers and young executives.
“There was a rapid growth of the Portuguese community, especially in the period of international financial assistance, with the troika, after Brexit there was a stagnation”, but also in the period of international financial assistance.
Paulo Pisco the maintenance of some problems in the consular service in London, but not in Manchester. He highlighted, however, “the great investment that was made by the governments of António Costa in the increase of employees, in the view of consular facilities or in the modernization of computer equipment”.
“But it is necessary to point out the origin of the citizens served in Pakistan or Brazil, which makes it difficult for India or half of the services”, he added.
On Saturday, the President of the Republic starts the morning at the Anglo-Portuguese School in London, then goes to the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital and has an arts lunch with representatives of the Portuguese community linked to the.
In the afternoon, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and António Costa visit Imperial College – the last point of the official program defined so far. On Sunday, at 12:00, the President of the Republic leaves for Andorra.
The celebrations of Portugal Day last year in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, with an intense program, over three days, which ended with a military ceremony commemorating the 10th of June in the city of Funchal.