The Prime Minister, António Costa, today declared that, despite constitutional limitations, it is the duty of his government to “leave everything ready” for whoever succeeds him and to guarantee the country’s continuity in the implementation of community funds and the daily management.
“Even with the constitutional restrictions the government will have from next Friday, the country must continue to function. It is necessary to ensure continuity,” the Prime Minister said in Porto at the start of a new edition of the +Próximo government, which culminates on Thursday with the Council of Ministers.
António Costa guaranteed that this continuity “is indisputable” in matters such as the implementation plans of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), plans for programs such as Portugal 2030, but also in daily business operations.
“But it is also the duty of this government, even when it comes to matters over which it cannot decide, to leave everything prepared so that whoever succeeds us can do so in the shortest possible time,” he added.
Among the issues to be prepared for the next government, António Costa mentioned the end of public discussion on the new Lisbon airport, but also the adoption of “preventive measures” to consolidate the route of the high-speed line, which he considered ‘the priority of priorities’.
“As long as there is no opposition from the leader of the main opposition party and the future leader of the current party in government, in January we will have the technical conditions to launch the competition to develop this high-speed line, the final of which has already been decision will be taken by the new government,” he said.
António Costa, who spoke after the signing of the decentralization notice in healthcare and the agreement to transfer the Palácio de São João Novo to the Municipality of Porto, also highlighted the “not always easy” and “highly negotiated” process of transferring State powers for municipalities.
“We will arrive at the end of this year with only eight municipalities with which no agreement has been reached, because they are municipalities that do not really want to take over powers in this area of healthcare. I can therefore say that we have successfully completed a fundamental part of the state reform, through the decentralization of powers for the municipalities. It is a path that is not exhausted (…) I know very well that fortunately there are more paths to progress, and certainly for whoever follows this path will continue,” he emphasized.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that this edition of Government+Próximo is marked by a new “important step in decentralization”, namely the “completion of the regionalization possible in the current political framework”, referring to the reform in the regional coordination and development committees. (CCDR), who today sign the first program contracts with the executive branch.
In a session where his work as Mayor of Lisbon and Prime Minister was praised by the Mayor of Porto, António Costa highlighted some important milestones for Porto, such as the opening of the pediatric department at the São João Hospital, the rehabilitation of the former Alexandre De Herculano high school, the transfer of the Monte Pedral barracks to the municipality and other projects that, with the PRR, “allowed us to give a different ambition” in areas such as housing.
Source: DN
