‘Government refers Relvas degree to prosecutors and forces him to resign’

Published on 5 April 2013 at 10:20

Cover

Miguel Relvas, the minister for parliamentary affairs and a close adviser to Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho, has resigned amid allegations he received favourable treatment and obtained a political science degree from Lisbon’s Universidade Lusófona in only one year, in 2007.

Education Minister Nuno Crato said the case will be sent to court in the next 24 hours, and may end with the degree being invalidated. The Constitutional Court verdict on elements of the 2013 budget is also expected on the same day.

Público adds that “the departure of a minister of Relvas’s stature only accentuates the feeling of anxiety at this time. The failure of the budget estimates for 2013, [...] deficit targets that are impossible to achieve [...], a vote of no confidence and the uncertainty about the constitutionality of the budget, are all providing a lot of turbulence.”

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic