The chancellor's meeting with Silva was followed by a 90-minute lunch with Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho at Portugal defence ministry headquarters at St. Julian's Fort in Oeiras about 10 miles west of Lisbon, where a press conference was held in the afternoon.
During the press conference held with the prime minister, Merkel praised the work that Portugal has done in order to rebalance their accounts, "The road has been difficult, but it is good for the country and Europe as a whole."
"I will do everything in my power to ensure that Portugal has a happy future," said the Chancellor.
VISIT MARKED BY PROTESTS
As Merkel's visit was underway, members of the CGTP, the country's largest trade union, amassed in key locations around the capital ahead of a general strike scheduled for Nov. 14 which is expected to disrupt at least 12 districts of the country where 39 rallies have been organized. Monday's protests follow rallies on Saturday by an estimated 10,000 active and retired military personnel protesting against 25 percent wage cutbacks.
During an interview with Portuguese public broadcaster RTP Sunday, Merkel said she did not expect Portugal would need a second bailout, "At the moment, fiscal measures have been well implemented and we're hoping that the program will be a success."
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