The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, commented this Friday on the latest updates on Operation Influencer, which involves former Prime Minister António Costa.

"There is a separation of powers and the President of the Republic avoids speaking out on court decisions that affect investigations by the Public Prosecutor's Office. It would be invading the domain of Justice", he began by saying, in statements to journalists from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in Lisbon, on the sidelines of the presentation of the survey 'The Portuguese and the 25th of April'.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was speaking about the latest updates in Operation Influencer, recalling his words about the possibility of the former prime minister, António Costa, taking up the post of President of the European Council.

"The only comment I made was political, generic, in which I said that it seemed to me to be more likely, or closer, the hypothesis of having a Portuguese - obviously the former prime minister - at the head of the European Council. By saying this, anyone would realize that I was saying, within the limits of what I could say, that I considered, with the most recent data, that this became more likely than without the most recent data", he defended.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa considered that Operation Influencer "is a reality that exists, an open process about which no one should speak, except Justice itself". "I said what all Portuguese people felt", he stressed.

The President of the Republic spoke of the possibility of a "pact in Justice", which he promoted and was celebrated "between 2016 and 2017, between all Justice operators", but which "later did not have the political sequence".

Then, the Head of State spoke directly to critics of the country's relationship with the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR), Lucília Gago.

"I also heard a lot of people say 'How is it that the President of the Republic does not act in relation to the top of the hierarchy of the Public Prosecutor's Office, which is the PGR?'. They know that the prosecutors' term is six years, so the PGR took office in 2018 and ends in October of this year. They know that the one who has the initiative to propose the name is the Government. The PGR's name was proposed by the Prime Minister, after hearing from the Minister of Justice. They know that the one who has the initiative to propose the end of the PGR's functions is the Government", he began by explaining.

Then, he shot: "Neither the previous nor the current one ever showed any intention of proposing the end of the PGR's functions. When you think that the President of the Republic has this power, he does not. He does not have the constitutional power to, on his own initiative, end or interfere with either the presentation of the name or the termination of the mandate".

In conclusion, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa asked that the process be allowed to "proceed". "It is not good to have political controversies about a judicial process. As it progresses, I am one of those who believe in Justice, therefore I believe that Justice always comes to the surface", he said.

Also Read: Costa. "Occasion made" Marcelo's decision to interrupt the previous legislature (Portuguese version)