Portugal’s Minister for the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, has brushed off reports that Health Minister Ana Paula Martins is preparing to leave the government, calling them “speculations that begin and end in the newspapers.”
Speaking after Wednesday’s Council of Ministers meeting, Leitão Amaro refused to comment on the Expresso report claiming Martins has already informed Prime Minister Luís Montenegro of her intention to step down.
“I won’t comment on speculation that begins and ends – legitimately and freely – in the media. It doesn’t exist in the government, nor in people’s concerns,” he said.
He insisted that the Health Minister “will continue to do her herculean work” in trying to repair what he described as a “dramatic situation” inherited in the National Health Service (SNS).
The minister reiterated his support of Martins, saying that “if there’s anyone who inherited a heavy burden but also has the capacity and confidence to solve it, it’s surely Ana Paula Martins.”
He also criticised what he called a “media exercise of speculation” about government reshuffles, saying that “as with all foam, it will pass, burst and disappear in a short time.”
The Expresso report, published Tuesday, claimed Martins had told the PM she intends to resign, with the formal decision expected by the end of the year once key health reforms are completed.
Since taking office in 2024, Ana Paula Martins has faced multiple crises, from controversy involving the national emergency service (INEM) to the closure of maternity wards and obstetric emergency units across the country.
The latest came last week after the death of a pregnant woman at the Amadora-Sintra Hospital, followed by the death of her baby a day later. Questioned in Parliament after the case, Martins ruled out resigning, telling MPs: “No, I won’t resign”.
