Portugal formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining a growing number of Western nations in a move that marks a significant shift in its foreign policy. But the announcement was marred by an embarrassing blunder on social media that quickly drew public criticism.
The Portuguese government’s official Instagram account mistakenly posted the Sudanese flag alongside Portugal’s, instead of the Palestinian flag. The error was widely noticed online, including by André Ventura, leader of the right-wing Chega party, and Fabian Figueiredo, a former member of the Left Bloc party.
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In this image posted Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, on the Portuguese government's official Instagram account, the Sudanese flag, right, is mistakenly shown alongside Portugal’s flag to announce Portugal’s recognition of a Palestinian state. The post was later corrected after drawing public criticism
(Photo: Portuguese Government via Instagram)
“The Portuguese government is celebrating recognition of Palestine with the flag of… Sudan,” Figueiredo wrote on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a screenshot of the post. Ventura also posted the image, criticizing the government’s professionalism. “The government of Portugal announces recognition of Palestine and posts the Sudanese flag. There’s no greater lack of professionalism. Please, save us from this government as soon as possible!” he wrote.
The mix-up likely stemmed from the visual similarity between the two flags. The Palestinian flag features three horizontal stripes in black, white and green, with a red triangle on the left. Sudan’s flag includes horizontal stripes in red, white and black, with a green triangle on the left. The overlapping color schemes and structure may have led to the confusion.
Though the government quickly replaced the image with the correct Palestinian flag, the mistake had already sparked criticism online and prompted calls for more attention to detail in official communications.
Portugal’s recognition of Palestinian statehood came as part of a coordinated wave of announcements. The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia declared recognition earlier the same day, and Portugal followed hours later.
France, which has been spearheading the recognition effort alongside Saudi Arabia, is reportedly preparing a second wave of recognitions. French officials are said to be anticipating possible Israeli moves to annex parts of the West Bank, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said no final decision has been made.