The Portuguese Republic already officially recognizes the existence of the State of Palestine after Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel has signed the official recognition statement at the headquarters of the Portuguese mission next to the United Nations, in New York, and given the presence of the head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“Today, September 21, 2025, the Portuguese state officially recognizes the state of Palestine,” said Rangel in an institutional statement after his arrival in the United States.
Portugal thus becomes the fourth western country to recognize the Palestinian state this Sunday, after the three main countries of the Commonwealth, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, did so early in the afternoon.
Minister Rangel has defended that the decision to recognize the State of Palestine is nothing but a continuation of the “constant and consensual” Portuguese foreign policy in defense of the solution of the two states, of Israel and Palestine and that it is “the only way for a fair and lasting peace.”
He also recalled that this official declaration is the result of a deliberation of the Council of Ministers with the support of the President and the parties with parliamentary representation in the Assembly of the Republic.
This Saturday, upon arrival in the United States to participate in the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said that the decision of the Portuguese government “has the full support of the President of the Republic” and that it aligns with that which has been the Portuguese position: “Defend moderation so that this formula (of the two states) is possible to get away from the radicalisms that were able to oppose the radical that the formula was possible. ” And he said it would be “an important moment.”
In addition, Rebelo de Sousa stressed that this decision intends to “still open a possibility” for the solution of the two states and that “in consciousness, everything must be done so that this path can be followed.”
The official statement comes after the Portugal Foreign Ministry announced this Friday In a brief statement that the Portuguese Republic would recognize this Sunday the state of Palestine prior to the celebration of the high -level conference for the solution of the two states that will begin this week in New York.
The Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, of the PSD Centrodethate party, had already anticipated this week the recognition of the Palestinian State simultaneously to other allied Western countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Australia or Canada.
Rangel, during his visit to London this week, in which he held an encounter with his British counterpart Yvette Cooper, declared that so far “there has been no fact that he will interfere with that path to recognition” and acknowledged that the process was “underway” and that there would be “progress” next week.
The minister also announced that Portugal will present at the UN a formal conviction against Israel's attacks against the Hamas delegation in Qatar last week, which left at least six fatalities.
Although the decision has been approved by the Luís Montenegro Conservative Coalition Government, which groups the PSD (Centroderecho-Democristians) and the CDS-PP (neoliberal right), the leader of the minority part of the Portuguese Executive and Minister of Defense Nuno Melo has recognized “disagreeing” from the political decision. The CDS spokesman considers that it is not “timely, consistent” and that this recognition should only occur within the framework of “an institutional peace process.”
However, two of the candidates to happen to Rebelo de Sousa at the head of the country's presidency in the January 2026 elections, the conservative Luís Marques Mendes and the Socialist Antonio José Seguro, have expressed their support determined to the announcement of the Portuguese government.
On the other hand, the Portuguese left has described the decision of “a good signal” although among criticisms of some parties to the delay of it. The Eurodiputada and former socialist minista Ana Catarina Mendes pointed out in a public debate session on Palestine held in Lisbon this Friday the importance of this fact, but defended that the decision “sooner” should have been made.
His opinion was shared in this same debate by other left -wing political leaders such as Marisa Matías, from Bloco de Esquerda (BE), Pedro Guerreiro, of the Communist Party of Portugal, Isabel Mendes Lopes, of the Livre party that pointed out that “this measure is not enough”, or Inês Sousa Real, of the Pan Animalist Party.
The Eurodiputada Marisa Matías said Friday that it is “unfortunate” to have to wait “two years of occupation and two years of genocide” to recognize Palestine, and placed this decision in the framework of the recognition of the Arab state by nine other Western countries, among which are in addition to the United Kingdom, historical ally of Portugal in the international sand, Canada, Australia, France or Luxembour.
The Guerreiro communist added that the recognition of the State of Palestine must be accompanied by “measures” that reinforce the sovereignty of the Palestinian people as well as with political positions of “opposition” to everything that placed in cause “international law, rights and citizenship of the Palestinian people.”
The visit of Rebelo de Sousa to New York will be foreseeably the last one as head of the Portuguese state and will include, in addition to a reception to representatives of the Portuguese community and Portuguese workers of the UN, an encounter with the United Nations Secretary General, also the Portuguese António Guterres, or participation in a high -level session to celebrate the 80 years of the organization.
The Portuguese president will be the eleventh in pronouncing his speech in this session of the General Assembly, which begins this Tuesday, less than six months after his second presidential mandate is finished. In Portugal, the tradition is that the prime minister and the president participate alternately in the UN general debate.