The prime minister ruled on Tuesday that the PSD shows an effective willingness to reach an agreement on the new Lisbon airport, but warned that it will use the PS majority if there are differences at the end of the established process.
António Costa took this position during the opening session of the VI Summit of Portuguese Tourism, at the Champalimaud Foundation, in Lisbon, in a speech that devoted about 30 minutes to the issue of the new airport.
“I am asked if I am sure that the solution will be agreed upon. I cannot answer for the opposition leader” [Luís Montenegro]. But there is one thing I am sure of: it is that the fact that an understanding was possible [com o PSD] on the methodology is a decisive first step for us to be able to reach an agreement on the final solution,” began defending the executive’s leader.
António Costa said he could “witness more” the performance of Luís Montenegro’s PSD over the last few months of negotiations.
“I have always verified on the part of the leader of the largest opposition party the actual will to seek an agreement. Whether we are going to reach an agreement I do not know, but I know that we both want to reach an agreement in front of the public presidents of employers’ federations.
On the part of the leader of the main opposition party, António Costa said he is convinced he “feels the same desire to come to an agreement”.
“They will tell me, let’s wait another year, but the law imposes the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and we should always do it. It can be an agreement solution. If there is no agreement in the end, it is life, who has the majority, must use the majority,” he warned.
In this regard, António Costa has wanted to leave a guarantee that for his part he will do everything he can to ensure that the solution is in agreement, because “it is good for the country to do that”.
“It’s good for the country that, with changes in government or leadership… [partidárias] majority or opposition, this decision is taken once and for all. The biggest expense is the cost of non-decision,” he said.
News updated at 13:12
Source: DN
