Portugal assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January 2021, the second in the Trio Presidency, which commenced with Germany in June 2020 and concludes with Slovenia in the second half of 2021. In his address, Minister Santos Silva discusses the priorities of the forthcoming Portuguese Presidency, which will focus on making the EU economically resilient, with an emphasis on solidarity and on the importance of a social Europe, particularly in the context of the EU’s Recovery Plan. The Portuguese Presidency will also prioritise the digital, innovation and green portfolios and will highlight the importance for Europe of multilateralism and international partnerships, – in particular, cooperation with Africa.
About the Speaker:
Augusto Santos Silva is the current Minister for Foreign Affairs of Portugal and has served in the role since 2015. Before this, he held several Ministerial portfolios including as Minister for National Defence, Minister for Education, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minister for Culture as well as being a Deputy in the Assembly of the Republic, the Portuguese parliament, where he represented the constituency of Oporto. He is also a full professor at the Faculty of Economics and a researcher with the Institute of Sociology at the University of Porto, where he was formerly Dean from 1998-1999.
