In his traditional New Year message, delivered at the Belém Palace, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that Portugal could do “much, much more” in 2022, calling for the “path to overcome the pandemic to be consolidated”.

“We are on the way, but January to March will be the crucial time to help close a chapter of our history, and convert worries and afflictions into hopes and confidences”, he said.

According to the head of state, 2022 must be the year in which the country reinvents "the frozen lives, postponed by the pandemic", namely through the use of European funds.

Retracing the year 2021, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stated that the first six months "were, here and abroad, harder than in 2020, with a pandemic, economic downturn, social crisis and wear and tear on institutions".

“We resisted, contained, vaccinated, reopened on-site schools, started the economy, exported, received tourists again and tried to start again”, he stressed.

Among the international events of relevance to Portugal, the President of the Republic highlighted the re-election “by acclamation” of António Guterres as secretary general of the United Nations (UN) and also the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), which took place in the first half of the year, with Marcelo recalling the approval of the “digital certificate, the [European] funds for the coming years and the climate law”.