LISBON, June 4 (Xinhua) -- European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit said on Thursday that he is "reasonably optimistic" about Portugal's "rapid recovery" after the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency.
"We anticipate that the economic recovery in Portugal will happen relatively quickly, which will also allow unemployment to fall faster than what happened in the previous crisis. At the moment, I am reasonably optimistic about Portugal," he said in an interview with Lusa.
Schmit believed that the situation will now be different from the "euro crisis" 10 years ago, "which had very serious contours in the country and affected especially young people, some of whom having to leave the country."
The European Commissioner praised Portugal for being able to "control the pandemic quite well."
"It was not one of the countries most affected and I think this is a positive element for Portugal and for the tourism sector," he was quoted as saying.
Schmit recalled that Portugal "is also a beneficiary" of the European Commission's proposal for a Recovery Fund of 750 billion euros (843.36 billion U.S. dollars), of which it will receive 26.3 billion euros (29.57 billion U.S. dollars) to "shorten this severe recession."
"We are already seeing an increase in unemployment -- because people are already losing their jobs -- but it is necessary to put in place the right measures to limit it and to help Portugal to recover vigorously," said the official. Enditem
