EU’s ‘Babush’ Antonio Costa Flaunts India’s OCI Card
New Delhi : The announcement of the India-EU trade deal, years in the making, witnessed a light-hearted moment when European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa unexpectedly took out his OCI card and spoke about his personal connection to India. Antonio Costa’s father was born and brought up in Goa, the former Portuguese colony. He emigrated to Portugal when he was 18, following the liberation of Goa.
I am the President of the European Council, but I am also an overseas Indian citizen,” an emotional Costa said as he took out the OCI card from his pocket. Then, he referred to his roots in Goa, something those present in the room would have scant knowledge of. As you can imagine, for me it has a special meaning. I am very proud of my roots in Goa, where my father’s family came from, and the connection between Europe and India is something personal to me,” the former Portuguese Prime Minister, who served from 2015 to 2024, said.
Costa’s India visit must have brought back a rush of childhood memories. He last visited India way back in 2017 as the Prime Minister of Portugal to release the English translation of a play by his poet and novelist father, Orlando Costa. Costa’s grandfather was born and lived for much of his life in Margao. His father, Orlando, was a noted writer whose work contains strong Goan influences as well as writings on Rabindranath Tagore.
His ancestral house, which is over 200 years old, is still there in Margao on Abade Faria Road, where his extended family still reside. During his 2017 visit, Costa visited the house and interacted with his family members. The 64-year-old leader is often referred to as the “Gandhi of Lisbon” due to his Goan heritage and calm negotiating style.
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