This Monday, the PSD accused the two candidates for the PS leadership of “pretending that they were not members of this government”, saying that they were part of the socialist executive that wanted to “cut a billion euros in pensions”.
“The internal campaign is treading a dangerous path of detachment from reality and an attempt to whitewash reality. The two candidates pretend that they are not members of this government, which António Costa alone decided.”criticized PSD Vice President António Leitão Amaro in statements to journalists at the party’s national headquarters.
The PSD leader responded to the criticism of Pedro Nuno Santos and José Luís Carneiro on the measure announced on Saturday by the President of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, at the party congress, regarding an increase in the reference value of the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly. up to 820 euros at the end of the next parliamentary term (in 2028) if the snap parliamentary elections of March 10 win.
“They were also the ones who decided a year ago to cut Portuguese pensions by a billion euros and only the pressure from the PSD reversed that”said Leitao Amaro.
The PSD deputy also held the PS responsible for “leading the country to bankruptcy” more than a decade ago and agreeing with the troika to cut not only pensions but also civil servants’ salaries.
“If there is no morality in talking about pension adjustments, that is certainly the case of the PS, which a year ago was part of the Council of Ministers with these candidates – it was not António Costa alone – ago decided to cut one billion euros in pensions”he said.
Last year, the PSD challenged the solution initially presented by the government for updating pensions, which granted pensioners an extraordinary supplement worth half a pension, paid in October 2022, and increases in 2023 of between 3.53 and 4.43%, lower than expected according to expectations. to the current calculation formula.
However, in April this year, the government announced an interim increase in pensions of 3.57% from July, fully guaranteeing compliance with the values set out in the law.
Asked about Pedro Nuno Santos’ challenge to the PSD to account for the measure it announced in Congress, Leitão Amaro replied that “if there is a government and party that the Portuguese can distrust, it is the PS” .
“The PSD will present its accounts for this and the various measures with its macroeconomic scenario”he said, ensuring “the sustainability of the global package.”
António Leitão Amaro defended that the PSD’s commitment to pensioners “is not new”, emphasizing that it was a government led by the social democrat Cavaco Silva that created the 14th month for this sector, and made the take the opportunity to insist on criticizing the candidates before the elections. succession of António Costa.
“These candidates, like this administration, are responsible for the ethical and political quagmire, for the mess, for the healthcare chaos, for the war in schools, for the tax burden on minimal public services.”he said.
In particular, Leitão Amaro highlighted “the irresponsibility and mistakes” of the former Minister of Infrastructure Pedro Nuno Santos, referring to the delivery of the agreement given via ‘whatsapp’ for compensation to the TAP administrator Alexandra Reis or because he ‘thought that he could do that through the silence of the night” alone to decide the location of the new airport.
“It is just as dangerous for a country to have ministers who make these kinds of mistakes as it is to have ministers who do not take responsibility for themselves.”he said, expressing confidence that the Portuguese “will not forget” him in their assessment in the next elections.
Source: DN
