Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigns over corruption case

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa resigned on Tuesday after police searched his official residence as part of a corruption investigation. The 62-year-old Costa, a member of the Socialist Party, has been Prime Minister of Portugal since 2015.

According to Costa, the position of prime minister is incompatible with doubts about his integrity. “Under these circumstances, I have tendered my resignation to the President of the Republic,” Costa told reporters on Tuesday. The president must still officially accept the resignation.

On Tuesday morning, the police raided Costa’s official residence, the São Bento Palace, as part of an investigation into possible cronyism and corruption. For example, Costa may have been involved in granting exploitation rights and contracts for green hydrogen and lithium mining projects. The police arrested five people in the investigation: the prime minister’s chief of staff, two managers of the companies involved, a businessman and a mayor.