"We have to pay the costs. Are there actions that have not been punished and those responsible have not been arrested? Are there goods that have been looted and have not been returned? Let's see how we can fix this", said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, quoted by the Reuters agency.

The President of the Republic was speaking on Tuesday during a dinner with foreign correspondents in Portugal.

At the event, Rebelo de Sousa said that Portugal "assumes all responsibility" for past mistakes and recalls that these crimes, including colonial massacres, had costs.

A year ago, at the welcome session for Brazilian President Lula da Silva, which preceded the solemn session commemorating the 49th anniversary of April 25 in the Assembly of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa defended that Portugal owed an apology, but above all it should fully assume responsibility for the exploration and slavery during the colonial period.

"It is not just apologizing - due, without a doubt - for what we did, because apologizing is sometimes the easiest thing to do, you apologize, turn your back, and the task is done. No, it is assuming responsibility for the future of what we did good and bad in the past", he defended.

For more than four centuries, at least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported long distances by ships and mostly European merchants, and sold as slaves.

In the same meeting with foreign correspondents, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa reiterated that he believes that former Prime Minister António Costa will be the next President of the European Council.

"I think so", he said, quoted by the EFE agency, when asked about his opinion on Costa's chances of presiding over the Council.

The Portuguese leader stated that, after the latest information released about the legal proceedings against the former head of government for alleged irregularities, it seems that the process will proceed "more easily, more quickly".

Rebelo de Sousa also stressed that everything indicates that the socialists will be the second most voted force in the European elections in June, "unless there is a tsunami".

Rebelo de Sousa stressed that another factor in Costa's favor could be the fact that the Presidency of the European Commission is in the hands of the Popular Party, which would make sense for the Presidency of the European Council to go to the socialists, although this is not currently the case.

He highlighted not only the support that Costa could have within the socialist family, but also the sympathies he arouses in the European People's Party and among liberals such as French President Emmanuel Macron.

According to Rebelo de Sousa, these possible supporters are joined by other possible supporters, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, and leaders from Eastern Europe.

"He will be a great President of the European Council and that is good for Europe and good for Portugal", he said.

The Portuguese President stressed that Europe "needs politicians with experience" and recalled that Costa was one of the Prime Ministers with the longest mandate.

Read Also: After April 25, "a hard core of poverty remained", recalls Marcelo (Portuguese version)