Luís Montenegro supports António Costa's second term of office at the European Council and the President of the EPP's solution not to touch the top positions until the end of the parliamentary term.
© António Costa/X
16/09/2026
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O president-in-Office of the Council. - (FR) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the President-in-Office of the Council for his excellent report.
To the newspaper Express, which advances with the news, source of the government has ensured that there is “total support from the Prime Minister and the Government to this solution” of bringing both Costa and Metsola.
A position that had been “already expressed by the Prime Minister within the EPP and the European Council” to the other leaders.
Montenegro thus agrees with the solution that is being defended by the Group President and the PPE, Manfred Weber, to maintain top positions as they stand until the end of the legislature, which takes place in 2029. That is to say, keep António Costa at the helm of the European Council, Roberta Metsola of the European Parliament and Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission , ensuring, as the Portuguese weekly points out, “the distribution of positions among the two largest political families without opening new battles”.
The election, which is not decided by MEPs but by European leaders, takes place in the spring of 2027. For now Manfred Weber will not have heard any internal opposition, but the opinion of the EPP leaders other than Luís Montenegro is lacking.
It is recalled that, as early as 2024, the Portuguese Head of Government had demonstrated support for António Costa, who has not yet said he is available for a second term at the European Council.