The first debate for the European elections took place today on SIC and brought together the top candidates from AD, Sebastião Bugalho, from PS, Marta Temido, from IL, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, and from Livre, Francisco Paupério.

In the final stretch of the debate, the candidates for MEPs were asked whether or not there would be advantages for Portugal to have a Portuguese like the former Prime Minister of the PS leading an institution like the European Council, if the legal proceedings in which António Costa was involved are shelved shortly.

"From my point of view, no, because what matters is what people do and feel, not where they were born, preferring a Portuguese if two candidates with equal competence are involved may even have xenophobic overtones", said João Cotrim de Figueiredo, considering that Jacques Delors was more useful to Portugal at the head of the European Commission than Durão Barroso.

Even so, the top candidate from IL stressed that it is not known between which candidates the choice will be made, admitting that "there may be others less capable of reforming" than António Costa, who he considered "will never be capable of reforming Europe".

On the opposite side, the socialist Marta Temido defended that the former Prime Minister's vision for Europe "has proven" a "vision of solidarity", highlighting his role in processes such as the mutualisation of debt or the supply of vaccines.

"It is the guarantee that Europe will move forward and not backwards. We believe in a more supportive Europe and in the need for the Portuguese not to be deceived as they were in the last legislative elections with promises that do not correspond to reality", said the former Minister of Health, in one of the few references to national politics in this debate.

The top candidate from AD (a coalition that brings together PSD, CDS-PP and PPM), Sebastião Bugalho, said he defended the principle of reciprocity, saying that António Costa, when he was an MEP, did not campaign against Durão Barroso's candidacy to lead the European Commission.

"We, as MEPs, do not have a vote on the matter for the President of the European Council, I continue to consider reciprocity a good principle, but I hope that António Costa will not be the centre of the debate on the European elections", he appealed.

Francisco Paupério said that the Greens, the European political family in which Livre is integrated, "have no opinion on the matter" and said that only the position of AD, which has a seat on the European Council through Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, will be relevant in this choice.

"António Costa has not yet assumed himself as a candidate, it will depend on all the other candidates", he said, considering the party's position in the election of a European commissioner to be more important.

Read Also: AO MINUTO: AD, PS, IL and Livre in the 1st debate for the European elections. Follow here (Portuguese version)