Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa added that the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic will be formalised on 15 January, so that the final drafting of the law of the State Budget for 2024 is made and so that the parliament can review the legislation on the statutes of the professional orders, so that the President decides to veto it.

Rebelo de Sousa, who spoke on the sidelines of a visit to the Food Bank against Hunger in Lisbon, justified that the entire calendar for the resignation of the prime minister and the call for elections was designed to “think about the Recovery and Resilience Plan”.

“In principle, the last council of ministers will be on the 7th and, therefore, the 7th night will be the resignation,” he said. “I extended a little what could end after this weekend, since the final global vote on the State Budget has ended,” he added.

The President of the Republic announced, on 9 November, that he would dissolve the Assembly of the Republic and schedule early legislative elections for 10 March, after António Costa presented the resignation from the position of prime minister.

António Costa submitted his resignation after learning that he was targeted in a case under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Justice, following a judicial investigation into the installation of a data center in Sines and lithium and hydrogen business.

The investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office led to the arrest of five people on suspicion of crimes of malfeasance, corruption and influence peddling, including the former chief of staff of the Prime Minister Vítor Escária and lawyer Diogo Lacerda Machado, who is known as being a friend of António Costa.

All detainees have already been released.