“The signs that come to me, but as I said, I just arrived in Portugal, are that there is no reason why neither the economy in these sectors, nor workers, nor those that have to do with companies, suppliers or customers, are concerned with that”, said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to RTP, when asked if he would be concerned about the consequences for companies and workers of the sale of Isabel dos Santos stakes in several Portuguese companies that has been disclosed in recent days.
Asked about a “snowball” effect on companies and on Portugal's credibility abroad, the head of state replied: “No, because, note, they are companies, as is public and notorious, they can possibly have interested parties, if where applicable, in the acquisition of shareholding positions. Therefore, this problem will not arise, such is the importance of these companies in the sectors and for the Portuguese economy”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa started by saying that it is necessary to “distinguish two realities”. "The priority is what is the collaboration at the judicial level that may exist between Angolan and Portuguese authorities and that has to do with an investigation now or triggered or apparently accelerated, and we will see what the evolution is like in the future", he said.
“Another thing is the situation of the companies, and in relation to the situation of the companies, I think that there is a very clear concern to guarantee their stability (…). Some are in important sectors of the Portuguese economy, either in the field of energy or in the field of the financial system, in the field of industry”.
