On Tuesday, Portuguese Prime Minister, Antonio Costa, announced his resignation amid ongoing corruption inquiries. He cited that the dignity of the Prime Minister’s role is incompatible with any suspicion related to one’s integrity, good behaviour, or criminality. This development follows allegations made against his office that handle Portuguese affairs, including lithium mining, hydrogen projects, and data centre construction. Here is the detailed account.
The investigation started in January of this year, when prosecutors looked into allegations of corruption linked to the aforementioned lithium and hydrogen projects. Although they did not name any suspects at that time, on Tuesday they conducted 43 raids on government buildings and houses, issuing arrest warrants for Costa’s chief of staff, Vítor Escária. They also indicated that Infrastructure Minister João Galamba would be a formal suspect. Costa affirmed his readiness to cooperate with the investigation, in his surprise resignation announcement. AA News has reported on these raids in detail.
Costa’s resignation comes after a long tenure, having served as Prime Minister for the Socialist Party since November 2015, and winning a third term in January 2022. This case highlights the increasing scrutiny around political figures and their financial behaviour, indicative of a larger global shift towards accountability and transparency in politics.