Paulo Portas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and then Deputy Prime Minister in the Pedro Passos Coelho coalition government, is to be a consultant with Mota-Engil, concentrating on developing the company’s Latin American businesses.
Mota-Engil employs over 28,000 people in diverse areas including civil engineering, port operations, waste, water, and logistics, many of which are based overseas.
Portas will head up Mota-Engil’s International Council where his contacts will be useful. Portas will be concentrating on offering ‘strategic advice with a focus on the Latin American market.'
The Latin American region is a strategic priority for the group, accounting for 31% of sales in the first quarter of 2016, rivaling the traditional African market, which accounts for 33% of activity.
Paulo Portas worked with Mota-Engil when Foreign Minister, but only as part of various trade missions at which the construction company was represented.
The former deputy PM assured the press that his past pubic life and new role are in no way incompatible.
"Mota-Engil is one of the most international of Portuguese companies. Moto-Engil, like over five hundred other companies, have been on various trade missions organised by the Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal (AICEP).
"As foreign minister and then deputy PM, I always fought for Portuguese companies so they could win contracts, markets and opportunities. I did so for four years with hundreds of companies because that was the best service I could provide for my country."
In addition to his consultancy role at Mota-Engil, Paulo Portas will keep other activities, such as political commentator on TVi and the unpaid vice-presidency of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Left Bloc wasted no time in criticising Portas’ new job, saying it is politically questionable and that Portas should prove that there is no incompatibility.
The parliamentary leader of the Left Bloc, Pedro Filipe Soares, considered it "politically objectionable" that Portas is working for Mota-Engil and that it proves yet again that there is a "revolving door between government and the private sector," adding that Portas "has always been responsible for the internationalisation of the economy and now he can offer Mota-Engil his set of contacts and relationships … about half a year after leaving government."
In October 2014, Mota-Engil won the construction contract for a tourist project in Mexico, estimated at 1,500 million USD. The deal was announced by the president of Mota-Engil, António Mota, when on a trade visit to Mexico led by Paulo Portas as deputy prime minister.
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