The new Portuguese government is in favor of tougher sanctions against Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, the Portuguese minister said of the environment and energy Maria da Grassa Carvalho, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
The centre-right government in power after narrowly winning the March 10 election that ended eight years of Socialist rule.
According to a document reviewed by Reuters, the next package of EC sanctions is expected to impose restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas for the first time, including a ban on the transit of goods to the EU.
This will not directly ban the import of Russian liquefied gas into the EU, but it will ban the use of European facilities to transship Russian gas for export to third countries.
“In general, the Portuguese government subscribes to the EU's energy policies, namely the measures aimed at guaranteeing our strategic sovereignty” and supports increasing sanctions aimed at pressuring Russia to end the war, the minister told Reuters.
At the same time, Portugal's parliament rejected a far-right proposal to charge the country's president with treason for expressing support for paying reparations for colonial crimes.
Last month, President Marcelo Rebelo de Souza proposed canceling the debts of the former colonies and providing them with financing, which sparked a national debate and strong criticism from right-wing parties, especially the far-right “Joke”, Reuters recalls.
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After the president's speech, the government said it would not start a process to pay reparations, but a “Joke” suggested that a state fraud case be filed against Souza.
“Parties are free to propose whatever they want”, Souza said, adding that this is “part of democracy”.
During the transatlantic slave trade, Portugal sold nearly 6 million Africans into slavery, more than any other European country, yet took almost no responsibility.
All parties, including the ruling Social Democrats, have said they will not support the president's proposal, and without support the case cannot move forward.
Leftist MP Joanna Mortagua said blacks still suffer from the effects of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism, including racism. However, deputy Režina Bastoš from the Social Democrats said that we should leave the past behind, and prioritize what can be done now.
The idea of paying reparations or other compensation for the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism has a long history and remains deeply contested, but it is nevertheless gaining momentum globally, according to Reuters.