Brussels, Jan. 20, 2021 (Lusa) - Portugal's prime minister, António Costa, was criticised on Wednesday by MEPs Paulo Rangel (PSD) and Nuno Melo (CDS-PP) in the European Parliament's debate on the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU, while Socialist MEPs regretted "petty politics".

In his speech in the Brussels hemicycle, the leader of the Social Democrat delegation voiced several 'attacks' on Costa, criticising the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Portugal at Christmas, challenging the prime minister to explain the controversy surrounding the appointment of José Guerra to the European Public Prosecutor's Office and deploring Costa's accusation of taking part in an international campaign to damage Portugal's external image.

"Speaking of health: do you have any plans to coordinate governments' responses to restrictive measures? If coordination had been chosen at Christmas and the French, German, and Italian examples had been followed, Portugal's figures would not have been so tragic. Now, are you willing to bet on this coordination?", Rangel asked.

On the Recovery Fund, Rangel asked the prime minister what he intended to do "to ensure that the money is well spent" and immediately added that "this is one of the main functions of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, to fight fraud and corruption of European funds", returning to the controversy surrounding the appointment of Prosecutor José Guerra.

"I will not ask you questions about this because there is an urgent debate [in the European Parliament] which, at the request of your government, was postponed from yesterday to today. As you are here, I challenge you: represent the Council in person in that debate. This is the place to explain yourself," he said.

He concluded by referring to the accusation made recently by Costa when he said that the MEP and Social Democrats Miguel Poiares Maduro and Ricardo Batista Leite were involved in a campaign to damage the country's external image during the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union.

"Finally, a personal note, [between] us, who have known each other for so many years, with respect, affability and democratic sense.  You are in the house of European democracy, of which you were a member. Here, look us in the eye, tell us: do you really think that parliamentarians from all parties and all member states have aligned themselves in an international conspiracy against Portugal, the Portuguese state and its government? Do you really have the courage to repeat here that this is a set-up, in front of everyone?", he asked.

Rangel said that "the PSD members will always be on the side of Portugal and Europe", starting with himself. "I will work for Portugal and the Portuguese government to succeed. But I will work as always: without fear of threats, without fear of intimidation", he concluded.

The leader of the Portuguese Socialist delegation to the European Parliament, Carlos Zorrinho, immediately said that it is known, "even from experience in Portugal's domestic politics, that some people do not hesitate to propagate rumours to weaken the capacity to carry out the mission".

"He also said that the European Parliament had no hesitation in spreading stories to weaken the capacity to carry out the mission. In this afternoon's debate, everything will be clarified again on the European Public Prosecutor appointment by Portugal. I hope you will then have the humility to apologise," he said, referring to the debate scheduled for the end of the afternoon, in which Ana Paula Zacarias, secretary of state for European affairs, will make a statement on behalf of the Council.

He also regretted that "a member of the European People's Party" had chosen to "defy the rest of parliament, nationalise the debate and attack the prime minister of Portugal".

He said, "I note with regret this choice by the PPE and the PSD, but afterwards, that this is not the time for petty politics, because the Portuguese presidency begins with great challenges".

Rangel's speech was also noted by José Gusmão, from the Portuguese left bloc. "We will not bring national debates to this plenary, which only reveal the absolute absence of a national and European agenda, of a right-wing that only clings to cases and does not debate either the country's priorities or Europe's priorities", he said.

At the end of the debate, too, Nuno Melo did not spare Costa, starting his speech by saying he would resist commenting on the appointment of a European Public Prosecutor based on false information, which undermines the credibility of the prosecutor's office at the very moment it is born".

He pointed out that Costa assumed the leadership of the EU "when the Covid-19 pandemic is showing signs of being absolutely out of control", Melo then criticised the government's policy in Portugal in managing the pandemic.

"Europeans need to look at themselves and trust that they will rise to the challenge, but unfortunately they look at the disaster in Portugal and doubt [...] What can you say here today to reassure Europeans that you will do much better in front of 27 countries than you are doing in Portugal?" he questioned.

Shortly afterwards, Socialist MEP Pedro Silva Pereira said it was "regrettable that some, fortunately very few, wanted to use the European Parliament stage for their petty national political war".

In his final speech, Costa did not respond to Rangel or Melo's criticisms but pointed out, concerning the European Public Prosecutor's Office, that it was his government that "added Portugal to this mechanism", as "until then Portugal had refused to join this mechanism of reinforced cooperation".

Less than a week after hosting a visit to Lisbon by a delegation from the college of the European Commission led by president Ursula von der Leyen last Friday and welcoming the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, at the launch of the presidency at the beginning of the month, Costa completed the round of institutional discussions on the six-month programme with the European Parliament on Wednesday.

ACC/ADB // ADB.

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