“I think that, in many ways, Europe owes Portugal an apology and appreciation, since the austerity measures the centre-right government took during the crisis were tremendous,” he said.

Stubb added that "there was no alternative" to the controversial measures the Portuguese government took, which included slashing public sector pay and pensions in return for a €78 billion bailout package from international lenders.

“If I had to do the same in Finland, as prime minister or minister of finance, I would have to go ahead,” he said. “That’s how it is.”

He said Portugal's PSD-CDS centre-right coalition had done a “great job in a difficult situation,” and had shown “a lot of courage.” He also claimed that since the minority Socialist had come into power, he “hasn’t seen much action.”

Stubb, who was interviewed on the sidelines of an initiative organised by Portugal’s Social Democrat Party (PSD) and Spain’s Popular Party, also said he thought German Chancellor Angela Merkel had been a “reference of stability in Europe” and “especially during the post-Trump and post-Brexit period.”