In the interview, Antonio Costa once again denied the possibility of running for Belém's position, and said with good humor: “I have already said that this position I will never hold in my life, you can all rest assured.”

The former Prime Minister also referred to the legislative elections in March this year. “The elections are taking place at the worst possible moment for who is governing. We have reached the moment when inflation started to fall, when interest rates finally stabilized. We could hardly have had a worse economic and social context going into the elections,” he stressed.

As for the influencer operation, Costa recalled the “difficult days” that followed his dismissal. He stressed: “It was the feeling that he had been run over by a train and then emerged alive.” He added: “When I saw the official doubts, it was very clear. [A demissão] “It was the only solution from the point of view of protecting the position of prime minister.”

Now he is said to have a “clear conscience.” “I know very well how this series will end, but I don’t know how many episodes or seasons it will include until we get there. But I know the ending,” he said, expressing his conviction that his innocence will be proven in the end.

Costa, who announced that he will begin writing a column on Saturday in Correio da Manhá and will commentate on the newspaper's new media group, admitted that it would be difficult to take a European position in the short term.

In response to a question about taking a European position, the former prime minister replied that “it depends on the circumstances,” but “with a pending process it is very difficult to reach this solution.”

As for his new life, Costa said that “there are small luxuries that can be gained,” such as “turning off your cell phone at night” or “not setting an alarm” to wake up in the morning.