The PSD chairman defended on Wednesday that there is an “accumulation of cases, lack of coordination, doubts” involving the government in recent months, which “contribute to the humiliation of the political climate” and distanced itself from any proximity to movements. of extremism.
Luís Montenegro spoke to journalists at the end of the official ceremony marking the 112th anniversary of the founding of the Republic in Portugal, during which the President of the Republic spoke of governments that “almost always consider themselves eternal” and of oppositions “is almost always annoyed by the wait”, then affirms that “nothing is eternal” and that “democracy is by nature the domain of the alternative, theirs or someone else’s”.
For the social-democratic leader, this vision of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is “very relevant” today, in which “democracy has tools that did not exist then, to regenerate itself and for a government to have a transforming country of action that can dissolve the day-to-day problems of people, communities, to prevent the emergence of phenomena of extremism that endanger the proper functioning of democracy”.
“I see in this a strong appeal from the President of the Republic to all political actors: to those who govern, to adopt a transformative, reform-oriented policy that can solve the problems that the Portuguese face on a daily basis; to the opposition, for take responsibility for demanding, researching, monitoring and creating alternatives,” he said.
Montenegro has distanced itself and its party from any movement of political extremism.
“We have a history that speaks for us. We have nothing to do with political extremist movements, we have nothing to do with fascist, xenophobic movements,” he added.
Regarding António Costa’s executive branch, the leader of the main opposition party believed that “the accumulation of cases, lack of coordination, doubts, in which the government has unfortunately been involved in recent months, are contributing to the deterioration of the political climate and the trust citizens have in their leaders”.
And he advised: “The government should stop drifting and focus on responding to what really affects people – delivering quality public services in essential areas such as health, education, culture, sport, areas that give people quality of life.” on a daily basis and of course have a sufficiently thriving and prepared economy”.
IL accuses PR of not learning the lesson about governments and alternatives
The parliamentary leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL) accused the President of the Republic of not having learned from history, in terms of governments and alternatives, indicating that what has existed in Portugal is an alternation and a slack one.
“The president of the republic made a very interesting historical parallel, pushing for alternatives and demands,” but “it seems that the president of the republic has not learned from history,” noted Rodrigo Saraiva.
“We have a problem, is that in the history of democracy in Portugal there has been no alternative. What has been is a change and a lackluster change. It is enough to see the PS rule 20 of the past 27 years.” , he added.
For Rodrigo Saraiva, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has “unfortunately been a good example of the few questions that must be put to the existing powers, starting with the governments and also the oppositions”.
“We’ve done our job, especially to show that there must be an alternative,” he said, stating that IL “has been the party, in all areas, that has an alternative view even to those of these governments that are have ruled this country”.
And he underlined: “We want the President of the Republic to do what he has to do so that there is an alternative in democracy in Portugal, starting with the President of the Republic”.
PR lacked self-criticism, says Chega
The Chega leader believed there was a lack of “certain self-criticism” in the October 5 message from the President of the Republic for “allowing successive mistakes and excesses” on the part of the PS government.
“There is a certain self-criticism that the President of the Republic should have and has not done in this matter, because as President of the Republic and thus guarantor of the functioning of democratic institutions, he too would have had certain abuses and excesses of the government and has not done so,” André Ventura told Lusa of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s speech at the solemn session of the 112th anniversary of the founding of the Republic.
Chega’s president said “it is true” that the opposition must do its job, as the head of state said in his message, but believed that this too “has failed and allowed successive governmental mistakes”.
“From our perspective it is clear and obvious that all political actors, including the President of the Republic, are aware that the government is spiraling out of control, but curbing this lack of control is now not only the task of the opposition, but also against the President of the Republic,” he insisted.
According to Ventura, everyone should give this critical acknowledgment, see where they have failed and improve on what can be improved.
In his speech, the President of the Republic went back to Portugal a hundred years ago, also suffering the consequences of a pandemic and war, to warn of the danger of dictatorships and to demand progress in democracy, where he believes was that “there is a way for everyone”. .
BE believes there was no report of impoverishment
For his part, the BE party leader believed that a message was missing from the President of the Republic and also from the Prime Minister about the impoverishment in Portugal due to inflation.
In a speech to journalists, on Praça do Município, in Lisbon, at the end of the ceremony commemorating the implantation of the Republic, Pedro Filipe Soares described the intervention of the head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, as “something that resigned “.
“If democracy is not a given forever, it has to be worked on daily, and one of the aspects that we had in the past that threatens the present is dissatisfaction with the decline in quality of life, impoverishment,” he said. . the deputy and leader of BE.
Pedro Filipe Soares added that the impoverishment in Portugal is “real, just like inflation, which is rampant”, and accused the government led by António Costa of not responding to him “in terms of purchasing power, protecting the people’s lives and guaranteeing fundamental rights: food, housing”.
“From this point of view, we had no message from the President of the Republic or for that matter from the Prime Minister in the response he had afterwards,” he said.
In his speech, the President of the Republic went back to Portugal a hundred years ago, also suffering the consequences of a pandemic and war, to warn of the danger of dictatorships and to demand progress in democracy, where he believes was that “there is a way for everyone”. .
In response to this speech, the Prime Minister recalled measures already taken, confirmed that the government is “very attentive to what is happening in the country, to what is happening in the world” and is concerned about “taking into account the economic situation, of a range of policies that inspire confidence”.
According to BE’s parliamentary leader, António Costa is limited to “saying that everything is fine, that the government will continue to do what it has done” and that the government will “apparently fail to present the state budget” if it remains at “little crumbs” already announced.
Pedro Filipe Soares claimed that the socialists “have no solutions to the housing crisis, to the gallop of interest rates”, they govern in an “authoritarian and arrogant way of government” and “accept the impoverishment of the country”.
PCP: Portugal’s situation requires constitutional compliance
The PCP’s parliamentary leader, Paula Santos, defended that the situation Portugal is going through “in the economic and social spheres” requires compliance with the constitution and measures guaranteeing rights and access to services.
“The economic and social situation of our country makes it necessary to comply with our Constitution, which our Constitution states in terms of political, economic, social and cultural democracy,” said Paula Santos.
He added: “The reality we live in in our country, of deteriorating living conditions, families, salaries and pensions, the rise in prices in a speculative way, based on the exploitation of economic groups, the difficulties in accessing health care, housing, social security and education difficulties, asking for answers”.
Responses that the PCP says have gone through “the appreciation of wages and pensions, the control and fixing of prices and taxation of the profits of economic groups, as well as responses in the sense of strengthening public services, be it education, health care, in social security, in guaranteeing the right to housing”.
In this regard, he said that “in fact, there are many young people who are looking for housing and cannot find it, there are many difficulties for families who fear that they will not be able to maintain their housing”.
Costa: The president is the voice of the Portuguese, we act and resolve
The Prime Minister, António Costa, believed that the President of the Republic is “the voice of the Portuguese” and left a “very important message” on October 5, while the government’s role is to act and act unload.
“The president of the republic is of course the president of all Portuguese, he is the voice of the Portuguese who have no voice and therefore of course he must express the feeling of the country, the feeling of the nation,” he said. said.
“We don’t speak. We act, we do, we solve it. This is the fundamental function of the government,” António Costa countered.
Source: DN
