PSD President Luís Montenegro on Thursday believed the possibility of Prime Minister António Costa running for a European post was a “fait diver” to divert attention from the country’s real problems.
“I don’t hear about that here, I think it’s a ‘fait diver’ that makes António Costa very useful,” said Luís Montenegro, addressing journalists at the end of a meeting of the European People’s Party (PPE), in Brussels.
According to the Social Democratic president, the issue, which came up late last week, is “entertaining with what is said in the public square and hiding the lack of doctors in health centers, the lack of teachers in schools, the record of tax burden that every month” the Portuguese pile up.
António Costa “imposes a sacrifice that is excessive even to meet an amount of taxes and premiums that was already the largest ever,” completed Luís Montenegro.
Earlier this week, António Costa said he was unavailable for a position in the European Union institutions after the June 2024 elections, responding to a report by Público that the prime minister could go to the European Council.
António Costa explained that he will not accept any mission that endangers the stability of the country.
“I guarantee stability. I have already explained to everyone that I will not accept any mission that would jeopardize the stability in Portugal. Would I ever jeopardize the stability that I have won so hard?” he wondered.
Montenegro criticizes Lagarde’s stance on interest rates and wants wage increases
However, the president of the PSD criticizes the statements of the president of the European Central Bank (ECB) about inflation due to the wage increase and believes that it is “absolutely urgent” in Portugal to increase it.
“I would like to express our disagreement with the ECB’s position, in particular Ms Lagarde’s, regarding the increase in wages in Portugal. [a ideia de] that the fight against inflation may be at stake because of the increase in wages,” defended Luís Montenegro.
And he believed that in Portugal the trajectory should be this: “If there is one thing that is absolutely urgent and urgent in Portugal, it is, both in public administration and in the private sector, to of the salary level”.
For Luís Montenegro, it is important to do this, not only to improve the living conditions of the Portuguese, but also to retain professionals.
“The rise in interest rates that has accumulated in recent months is already having an impact and we cannot, on the one hand, want to emphasize the fall in the rate of inflation and, on the other hand, insist on a recipe that starts to work from a point of view said the Social Democratic leader.
In Portugal, Luís Montenegro illustrated, the rise in interest rates is “punishing many households with mortgage loans who are already facing a dramatic situation”.
Montenegro criticized António Costa’s socialist government, calling it a “champion in tax collection”, collecting “record after record”.
“The Portuguese government and the Prime Minister must be able to look at the situation and make their voices heard […]this is a good opportunity to raise awareness at the European Council of the need for balance, to safeguard the economy and the Portuguese people,” he appealed.
Source: DN
