Comment comes as party that oversaw Brexit expects to be ousted from power
Portugal’s minister of foreign affairs, Paulo Rangel, has said today that now is the time to relaunch Europe’s relationship with the United Kingdom in terms of “co-operation and rapprochement“.
On the sidelines of a conference on the European Union (EU) and on the day that the British elect a new government, the head of Portuguese diplomacy considered that “eight years after the Brexit referendum, four years after the exit negotiations, it is time to relaunch the relationship with the United Kingdom“.
“I also think that this can be seen in all the candidates (for the parliamentary elections): the desire to relaunch the relationship with Europe in a way that is based on cooperation and rapprochement,” he said.
Rangel referred to the fact that with the UK adapting to Brexit – and issues raised by the country’s exit from the EU – relations have been “in a certain lethargy” and “a certain distance has been created.
“Portugal has the oldest defence alliance in the world with the UK. It has privileged historical relations and I think we should take advantage of a new impetus that is now taking place and that results from internal political dynamics.”
Now, the government said it hoped to return to “what was a de facto fundamental partner“, recalling that France – which will hold the second round of legislative elections on Sunday – and the UK are “historical and fundamental partners for Portugal“.
Today’s legislative elections in Britain have the Labour Party as firm favourites to end 14 years of Conservative leadership.
Labour has maintained a lead of around 20 percentage points in voting intentions throughout recent months, leading polls to predict an absolute majority of quite historic proportions.
Gains could also be made by Liberal Democrats and the up-and-coming Reform UK party.
In Portugal as well as other foreign countries, registered citizens have been able to vote by post or proxy, but there has been no possibility of voting in person at British embassies or consulates.
Source material: LUSA
