Prime Minister Antonio Costa has asked for Pedro Nuno Santos, the Minister of Infrastructure to quit and has revoked his dispatch surrounding a new airport. Santos had set out plans for a new airport in Alcochete in 2035 and a complimentary runway in Montijo by 2026.
The PM says that if Pedro Nuno Santos does not quit, he will fire him. It seems that the Minister of Infrastructure acted without the permission of the Prime Minister. He also did not communicate the decision with the President of the Republic or any parties in parliament.
The PM says that the construction of the new airport must be negotiated with the opposition, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and that the Minister of Infrastructure’s dispatch must be revoked.
Costa says that the “solution must be negotiated with the opposition, particularly with the primary opposition party” and that the President of the Republic must be first informed.
Ines de Sousa Real from PAN says that although there is some worry surrounding the instability of the government, she agrees with the PM’s decision to revoke the dispatch made by Pedro Nuno Santos.
Other parties believe Pedro Nuno Santos should quit his role as Minister of Infrastructure, including Chega, the Liberal Initiative (IL), and the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
Joao Cotrim de Figueiredo, the leader of the IL, criticizes the minister for “doing something absolutely unbelievable by making public a decision, without telling anyone anything, without communicating with the President of the Republic or the parties in parliament”.