The President of the Republic said today that until he will swears in the new Government on February 23rd, he will not speak about the political situation resulting from the legislative, which the PS won with an absolute majority.
When asked by journalists about his role in this political situation, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied: "They will not hear me until the 23rd, when I will give the inauguration speech of the new Government ".
"I will not comment on anything after the elections on January 30th. What I have to say I will say in the inauguration speech of the Prime Minister and the Government", added the head of state.
On Wednesday of last week, Rebelo de Sousa released a note informing that "he communicated to Dr António Costa, secretary general of the PS, his intention to appoint him as Prime Minister of the XXIII Constitutional Government, which will be formalised after the counting of votes from constituencies in Europe and outside Europe".
"The appointment and inauguration will take place after the first session of the XV legislature of the Assembly of the Republic", reads the same note, after the head of state has heard the eight parties that elected deputies in the 30th January election, in order increasing representation: Livre, PAN, BE, PCP, Iniciativa Liberal, Chega, PSD and PS.
The PS won the election with an absolute majority, obtaining 41.7% of the votes and 117 of the 230 deputies in the national territory.
Article 187 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic establishes that "the Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the Republic, after hearing the parties represented in the Assembly of the Republic and taking into account the electoral results".
António Costa has been Prime Minister since November 2015, his third term, which will be the XXIII Constitutional Government.
