Hailing from Goa, who was Portugal’s PM for 9 years, who is European Council President Antonio Costa, whom PM Modi congratulated

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has been elected President of the European Council. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him. PM Modi said that he hopes to work with him (Costa) to take the India-European Union strategic partnership to greater heights. Costa, who hails from Goa, India, has recently been elected President of the European Council.

Modi said in a post on the social media platform ‘X’, ‘Congratulations to my friend Antonio Costa on being elected as the next President of the European Council. I look forward to working closely with you to take the India-EU strategic partnership to greater heights.’ Costa was the Prime Minister of Portugal from 2015 to 2023. In November 2023, Costa resigned from the post in the wake of an investigation related to a corruption case.

Recently, the leaders of the European Union had gathered in Brussels to decide who should be given the command of the European Council. The term of the post of its president is 5 years. However, there were controversies in this decision as well because the leaders of Italy and Hungary expressed their displeasure. But despite the opposition of Italy’s PM Georgia Meloni and Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Ursula von der, Antonio Costa and Kaja Kallas were nominated for important posts in the EU.

 Ursula von der was elected President of the European Commission for the second time. While Antonio Costa became the President of the European Council. While Kaja Kallas was elected High Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The appointment of Ursula von der and Kallas is yet to be approved by the European Parliament. Whereas Costa will take charge from December 1. According to diplomatic sources, Italian PM Meloni had opposed the candidature of Costa and Kallas. 

Accepting the new role, Costa said, “It is a matter of pride that I have been entrusted with the responsibility of the new President of the European Council. I thank the socialist supporters and the Portuguese government, who maintained unity.”