“As is known, now, the opposition leadership is changing and, at this moment, I expect that next month we will have a new opposition leader to know if the agreement is Montijo, if it is Alcochete, or what the agreement is”, he said.

“For my part, I know 20 good reasons for each of the locations and I also know all the reasons why none of these locations is good, so it's up to me to decide”.

“For me, I only have one criterion: what the opposition understands is what we do, but we can't waste any more time on the new airport”, he declared.

High speed rail

Regarding the projection of high-speed rail lines - an issue also in terms of connections to the Spanish network - António Costa said that he will also have to listen to the new president of the PSD.

“For next month, when we have a new leader of the opposition, in addition to the airport, we can also settle once and for all on the route of the railway line”, he said, then asking people in the audience not to laugh.

“Don't laugh because it's not funny, it's really dramatic. I was mayor of Lisbon for eight years and left my successor two huge shelves with studies on airports. Studies that showed that Ota was it; studies that showed what Rio Frio was, what Alcochete was, then others who said Portela was more than enough and still others about Portela plus Alverca, Portela plus Sintra or Portela plus Montijo”, he said.

In other words, according to António Costa, “there are great arguments for everyone, there are arguments against everyone and there is only one thing missing: to decide and do”.

“It is a decision that, in order to be stable, must involve the two largest parties and while the leaderships of the two largest parties are also stable”, he pointed out.