Strasbourg, 07/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 7 June, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, urged the outgoing Socialist government in Portugal headed by José Sócrates to take the necessary measures to immediately introduce the austerity programme negotiated by Portugal in return for international aid of €78 billion (see EUROPE 10380). He said that there was now a government in Portugal and the civil service was working properly so the measures can be introduced immediately. He urged the Portuguese authorities to get to work right now and not postpone introduction of the reforms that have been agreed upon. On Sunday 5 June, the centre-right Social Democratic Party headed by Pedro Passos Coelho won general elections in the country, promising to introduce the austerity programme and even go further than that in its economic reform plans. It will come to power with the Democratic Social Party (further to the right). The negotiations to form the coalition government are expected to last until the end of the month and the first international creditor fact-finding mission to Portugal will start at the end of July or beginning of August. (M.B./transl.fl)