It is “with gratitude, solidarity and hope that I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a promising year of 2021”, said Prime Minister António Costa in his Christmas message last night

António Costa added that “in such a hard and demanding time, it is an enormous honour for me to be here at your service, at the service of Portugal”.

Hope

“The day after tomorrow the vaccination process against Covid-19 begins, which, even though it is a phased and prolonged process over time, gives us renewed confidence that thanks to science it is even possible to quell this pandemic”, said António Costa.

And the “reinforced solidarity of the European Union” will “support the national effort to initiate a sustained recovery”, which will allow “to overcome the difficulties we currently live in”, but to face “the structural problems that historically limit the development potential of our Country”, he added.

“We defined a strategic vision for the future of Portugal, and we now have the means to be able to make it happen, thus opening new horizons for a fairer, more prosperous and more modern country to new generations”, he said.

Gratitude

The Prime Minister affirmed his gratitude “to all Portuguese for their capacity for adaptation and sacrifice, for their determination and discipline, for the civic responsibility with which they have collectively faced this pandemic”.

Gratitude, “in particular, to those who provide assistance to those who need it most”, “to the mobilization of the scientific community or to teachers”, “to all those who, since March, have kept the country running”.

“But in a very, very special way, I want to express my gratitude – I am sure that the gratitude of all Portuguese people – to health professionals who, day and night, do their best to treat those who are sick, so often with sacrifice of breaks , time for rest and contact with your own family ”, he said.

Solidarity

António Costa expressed his solidarity with the families of victims or patients of Covid-19, of those who live outside Portugal and are unable to come and miss them.

Solidarity still with “all families, because, in truth, none could join as usual, and in the home of all of us, this Christmas had to be celebrated in a different way”.

But, above all, “to all – and so many are – who suffer the serious economic and social consequences of this pandemic”.

 

The Prime Minister said he was aware “of the harshness of many of the measures that we had to take throughout this year”, and “of the profound impact of these measures on the lives of all of us” to “contain the transmission of the virus, guarantee the responsiveness of health services and, fundamentally, save lives ”.

 

«Faced with an unexpected and unknown virus, the Government has tried to respond in the best way, with balance and common sense». “We certainly did not do everything well”, “but we have not bargained or bargained for efforts,” he said.