The President of the Republic devalued this Thursday the absence of the President of the Government to the acts of June 10 for health reasons, explaining that it is not a “serious illness”. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa – who is already in the Braga district as part of the Portugal Day celebrations – reveals that António Costa felt “feverish” and “sick” after returning from Paris and that the doctor suggested that he still had “three more days.” off, starting this Thursday.”

The head of state says that it would be “foolish for the prime minister to submit to the effort of a day with a very busy agenda in Braga and a very busy one in London”. Marcelo still does not know who will be the minister who will replace António Costa under the terms of the Constitution. “He has been replaced by the Minister of the Presidency [Mariana Vieira da Silva], it is possible that it is that”, says the President of the Republic. Mariana Vieira da Silva is, however, in Brazil, precisely in the context of June 10.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also reveals that he did not speak on the phone with the prime minister precisely because he does not want to “bother him”, since he is sick. And he would give one more piece of information, in the style of a clinical bulletin: “It’s not Covid.”

The war with Albuquerque continues

The President of the Republic continues the war of words with the President of the Regional Government of Madeira. Miguel Albuquerque issued a statement Thursday saying that he was not invited to the June 10 ceremonies in London, but only to the ceremonies taking place in Braga.

Hours later, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa revealed that he had asked the Chief of Staff to speak “in person with the President of the Regional Government to invite him and, therefore, the President [Miguel Albuquerque] I certainly forgot.”

Later, for the second time this Thursday, Marcelo spoke about the matter again with a new detail: on Wednesday the international services of the Presidency contacted the presidents of the two regional governments to find out if they would travel to London and both “informed that they could not go” .

The head of state later refers to the case as an Albuquerque whim who just felt “there wasn’t enough formality.” And he even said that this “communication problem” is “only important”, even more so “in the context of a war, of a June 10 pandemic”.