"Congratulations Dear Professor, (I wish you) every happiness Mr. President of the Republic,” Costa said on Twitter.

Rebelo de Sousa was elected as Portuguese President on 24 January 2016, in the first round, with 52% of the vote and took office on 9 March.

Facing a polarised political scene as a result of the general elections, the former president of the now opposition party PSD, said since the beginning of his term that the minority PS government, supported by other left-wing parties in parliament, should complete its term and his position has generally been in line with that of the government of António Costa.

His relationship with PSD led by Pedro Passos Coelho has been strained as a result.

Despite coming from a similar political background, Rebelo de Sousa has had a different approach to his predecessor in his close contact with the population and his frequent appearances in the media.