Brussels, 12/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 12 November 2012, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, travelled to Lisbon, Portugal, to give her support to the Portuguese prime minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, and defend the international aid plan for Portugal that came on stream in May 2011. She met the Portuguese president, Anibal Cavaco Silva, and then the prime minister for a working lunch, and then met Portuguese and German businessmen. Several demonstrations took place against Merkel, despite calls by Passos Coelho for her visit not to be disturbed. The biggest Portuguese trade union, the CGTP, marched 'in defence of national sovereignty, with some demonstrators crying “Raus” (Get out) or “Merkel, Nein” in front of the presidential palace, reports German magazine Der Spiegel. On Sunday on Portuguese television (RTP), Merkel praised Portugal's work and the fact that it was respecting its commitments very well. She said that although programmes of this nature generate wide debate, the government is demonstrating huge courage by introducing these measures, adding thta it was a long, tough process that she knew demanded much in the way of sacrifices. Merkel said there was no reason for renegotiating the Portuguese structural adjustment programme at this stage, or a second aid programme for that matter.
Merkel's visit, following her visits to Spain and Grece, came at the same time as the start of the sixth fact-finding mission by the country's international lenders (European Commission, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank), which will spend a week examining implementation of the new austerity measures by the government, measures imposed in exchange for a €78 billion aid package. If the fact-finders issue a positive verdict, then a new batch of aid will be disbursed (€2.5 billion). (SP/transl.fl)