Portugal's centre-right government has stuck to the bailout plan and met targets to cut the country's budget deficit. However, Siim Kallas, who is now responsible for the commission's economic and financial affairs brief, after Olli Rehn announced his candidacy for the European parliamentary elections said, "The European commission takes note of this decision and, as previously stated, will support the Portuguese authorities and people in this sovereign choice". The EU, IMF and European central bank have urged the country to consider a line of credit to help ease its return to international capital markets. Lisbon has been under pressure not to go it alone and, instead, seek a credit safety net from the European stability mechanism, the eurozone's €500bn rescue fund. He acknowledged that difficulties remain for many families across the country, but added that his announcement was a sign that sacrifices had not been made in vain. The Portuguese leader said "every Portuguese citizen had suffered the painful effects of a crisis that could and should have been avoided". The decision was announced in a national televised address and means the country no longer has to answer to foreign creditors after the bailout ends on 17 May. Passos Coelho said an exit without the safety net of additional international support was the choice that would "best defend the interests of Portugal". The Portuguese prime minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, said his country will make a "clean" exit from the three year €78bn troika bailout without a precautionary line of credit.
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