"This is not the time to apply sanctions to Portugal or Spain, or any other country. After the Brexit decision, it is now time to recover the confidence in the European project", the leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European parliament said.

Gianni Pittella was talking to reporters after having talked to the speaker of the Portuguese parliament, Ferro Rodrigues, who, in turn, stressed the "importance" of this position by the second largest political group in the European parliament regarding Portugal.

Ferro Rodrigues said afterwards he was also hoping that the largest group in the European parliament the European Popular party, would come out with an identical position against the application of sanctions against Portugal.

At the end of the meeting with the Portuguese speaker, the Italian Socialist leader said that the president of the European parliament, the German Martin Schulz is also against applying sanctions on Portugal, and praised the Portuguese government “on the effort it is making to reduce the deficit to under 3%" and the "commitment in the question of refugees ".