“I would like to deeply thank all the women and men who work daily in different organizations, in the different forces and services, in the Armed Forces, for contributing to ensuring security in our country,” said António Costa.

After considering security one of the “most valuable public goods,” the prime minister who is about to leave office said that Portuguese society can be collectively proud of living in “one of the most peaceful and safe countries in the world.”

In presenting his farewell greetings to the SSI, António Costa recalled that, over almost 23 years in which he performed various functions, he had the “privilege” of contributing to structuring the current internal security system.

He pointed to the example of the law on the organization of criminal investigation, which clarified the powers of the Judiciary Police, the PSP and the GNR, and which, according to him, made it possible to greatly strengthen this area in the country and its ability to reduce crime rates.

The outgoing Prime Minister also highlighted his contribution to the legislative framework for criminal investigation, which provided the police, especially the Judiciary, with a “no small arsenal” to combat financial and economic crime, as well as the transformation of the cabinet security coordinator at what is now the Secretary General of the SSI.

“It was absolutely essential to have the capacity for effective coordination and the capacity for synergies between the different forces and services and this involved having a robust center for coordinating activities,” he said.

António Costa also made a point of highlighting, in this context, Civil Protection, to say that, in recent years, it has been possible to “significantly strengthen” its capacity for action, with “results that are visible” in areas such as fighting forest fires.

As for the Armed Forces, António Costa wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter) that, “in uncertain times, more than ever,” they are absolutely essential to the country.

“I thank the dedication and commitment of the women and men who serve here and who, in the national territory and in the world, ensure national defense and honor Portugal in our bilateral and multilateral participation in cooperation and collective defense,” he said.