A government reshuffle in Portugal after corruption shocked the country
The government of Portugal was remodeled after the “shock” of the controversy.
The Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, announced on Monday that two new ministers will be appointed to the government amid a scandal over compensation paid by TAP Air Portugal.
The case, revealed by the media, “shocked the country”, said the head of the Portuguese socialist government at a press conference.
Last week, revelations about the Portuguese airline led to the dismissal of Minister Pedro Nuno Santos’ company.
He was considered one of the main rivals after Costa within the Socialist Party of Portugal.
Costa appointed the official secretaries of state João Calamba and Marina Gonçalves as Ministers of Infrastructure and Housing, respectively.
It justified the choice of these two responsible for the ability to carry out important investment projects financed by the European Post-Covid Recovery Plan.
“This is not a sign of government fatigue,” Costa told reporters on Monday.
The small refurbishment was motivated by the resignation of former Secretary of State for the Treasury Alexandra Reiss after she left the TAP group last February with compensation of 500 thousand euros.
A few months later, he was appointed head of the public body responsible for air traffic control.
The Public Ministry of Portugal announced this Monday that it opened an inquiry into the compensation paid to Reyes after he was fired from TAP by its director general, Christine Ermeiers-Widener.
Renationalized in 2020 to receive 3.2 million euros in public aid, TAP has been closely scrutinized and continues to lead to lively political debates.
The latest controversy further weakened Antonio Costa’s governor, who was already struggling to breathe new life, despite an unsuccessful legislative victory last January.