The prime minister receives on Tuesday and Wednesday the parties with parliamentary representation on the epidemiological situation in Portugal, before the Government approves measures against Covid-19, which could happen in the Council of Ministers on Thursday.
This calendar, which has not yet been officially communicated by the executive, was practically closed after yesterday afternoon's meeting between specialists and political leaders, at Infarmed, in Lisbon, at a time when the country is recording an increase in incidence and transmission rates. (Rt) from Covid-19.
The prime minister mentioned in his official account on the social network that he had yesterday afternoon at Infarmed, in Lisbon, “an important session on the epidemiological situation of Covid-19 in Portugal”. “We listened to the experts' clarifications, analyzes and reflections At the beginning of next week we will hear the contributions of political parties with parliamentary representation”, completed António Costa.
In his message, the executive's leader also warns that the Covid-19 pandemic, “unfortunately, is not over yet”.
“We continue to work. Let us continue, each and every one of us, to do our part, protecting ourselves and others”, he added.
At the end of the Infarmed meeting, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa – flanked by the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Ferro Rodrigues, and by the Prime Minister, António Costa – stated that there is still a “total combination of political bodies ” in the response to Covid-19, but declined to speak of measures, referring this decision to the Government, after consulting the parties.
As for the measures to be adopted, the head of State said that "the experts presented what they considered essential for this phase" and that "the decision on this matter will naturally belong to the Government", which "will listen to the political parties and will decide".
“If the President's intervention is necessary, I have already said that the President is available to intervene. If the intervention of the Assembly is necessary, if it is in a position to do so, the same will be said. In other words, there continues to be a total conjugation of the organs of political power”, added Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who in recent days has ruled out a new recourse to the state of emergency.
On Thursday, the President of the Republic declared that, if Parliament's intervention was deemed necessary to adopt measures against Covid-19, it was available to decree its dissolution within the deadline, which will have to be decreed between 1 and 5 December, between 60 and 55 days before the January 30 legislative elections.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that yesterday at the end of the day he would have a weekly meeting with the prime minister, who would communicate to him “what the Government considers is fundamental” to contain the spread of Covid-19 in Portugal, and “what it depends on the competence of the Government, which is in full function, which requires the intervention of the Assembly of the Republic”.
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