Portuguese PM António Costa resigns amid corruption inquiry
GuardianNOV 3 2023
Portuguese PM Resigns Over Corruption Probe
Image copyright: Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis [via Getty Images]
The Spin
Left narrative
As Costa was thought to be leaving the premiership only for a position in Brussels, where he had built a good reputation for dialogue and financial discipline, this investigation and his subsequent resignation are certainly shocking. In a decade marked by the rise of neoliberalism in Europe, he served as a leading light for socialists around the world.
Right narrative
This isn't the first instance of corruption staining Prime Minister António Costa's leadership but, ideally, it will mark the conclusion of such scandals in Portugal. Ever since his Socialist Party won an absolute majority in parliament 16 months ago, several embarrassments — some related to corruption — have forced two ministers and 11 secretaries of state to resign.