Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said on October 6 that Portugal supported keeping Antonio Costa and Roberta Metsola at the head of the European Council and European Parliament until 2029. Speaking to reporters in Strasbourg, he argued that continuity would strengthen the European Union’s stability and operational capacity, Reuters reported.
His remarks came as the centre-right European People’s Party discussed a proposal from its leader, Manfred Weber, to retain the existing leadership arrangement. Costa, a Socialist and former Portuguese prime minister, began his European Council presidency in late 2024. His initial term was due to expire on May 31, 2027, with EU rules allowing one additional two-and-a-half-year term.
Metsola, from Malta and a member of the EPP, was re-elected European Parliament president in July 2024. Her term was due to expire in January, when lawmakers would choose leadership for the remainder of the parliamentary mandate. Montenegro’s comments expressed Portugal’s negotiating preference; they did not constitute formal reappointment decisions by either European institution.