Diogo Cunha, JS leader and deputy (supporter of Pedro Nuno Santos)
We have been talking about Lisbon Airport for more than 50 years. How and when is it reasonable to resolve this matter?
At this stage it is especially necessary who decides. We cannot continue to argue endlessly about an issue where we know progress needs to be made. The decision on the New Airport cannot be sustained over time and must stop being a project in the drawer. In recent years, concrete steps have been taken towards this progress. Major investments are needed; delaying it slows down the country.
Almost half of the SNS budget is used for payments to private individuals. How to change this situation?
So many years of disinvestment in the SNS meant that the state had to guarantee the health of citizens through private institutions. In recent years, investments have increased to pay better salaries to all healthcare workers, but especially to enable the public healthcare network to reduce dependence on the private network. The path to the future of the SNS involves more investments, guaranteeing continued dialogue and better salaries.
How to solve the housing problem? How much can I spend on the construction of social housing? How can public and private housing be secured at controlled costs?
There are no silver bullets to solve the housing problem. The first step is to dismantle the pejorative narrative about social housing and get the state to invest. Portugal has approximately 2% of the social housing stock; The Netherlands, the best example of liberalism in Portugal, has almost 30%. This comparison makes it clear that there is a need for public investment in this sector. Controlled cost housing should also be compensated for those who build it.
What immediate measures should be taken to solve the increasingly serious water shortage in much of the territory, especially in the South?
It is very important to understand that if nothing is done, several regions in the south of the country will soon find themselves in an irreversible situation of water scarcity. A different management in agriculture and tourism in the South is essential, but above all is the understanding that we must collectively change our behavior. The hydrographic plans of Alentejo and Algarve are good examples of public policies in the field of water management, but water pacts are also necessary tools for analyzing water transfer between different regions. A desalination plant is to be built in the Algarve and there are already calls for a second one. On the other hand, we must also take into account territorial solidarity in the field of water, taking into account the transfer of water between areas of abundance to areas in need.
Do you agree to the return of military conscription to solve the huge shortage of personnel in the armed forces?
The end of compulsory military service was an important measure that for me must be considered irreversible. The lack of personnel in the armed forces is being combated with better conditions for access to a military career, but above all with better salaries and more stability in the long term.
Catarina Silva, leader of JS (supporter of José Luís Carneiro)
We have been talking about Lisbon Airport for more than 50 years. How and when is it reasonable to resolve this matter?
An infrastructure of this size requires an exhaustive analysis of three criteria: environmental impact, safety and access. At the beginning of the new legislature, a space for dialogue must be found with all parties with a seat in the AR and not only with the government, guaranteeing solutions to meet all points.
Almost half of the SNS budget is used for payments to private individuals. How to change this situation?
The ‘flight to the private sector’ of public administration should not be the rule, but rather the exception, ensuring that it is the state that provides essential services, as is the case with the SNS. To improve response capacity, it is crucial to act preventively, with a strong and diverse primary care network, to reduce emerging needs and free up services, reducing the NHS’s demand for private solutions. If some of this value is justified by hiring temporary staff, it is imperative that more public sector professionals are hired and valued.
How to solve the housing problem? How much can I spend on the construction of social housing? How can public and private housing be secured at controlled costs?
On the one hand, it is necessary to solve this through leasing. Guarantee incentives for long-term private sector contracts and ensure a significant public share at affordable prices. On the other hand, it is possible to solve the problem by gaining access to private homes. Three priorities emerge here: lowering housing costs, taxing family assets less and deducting loan interest from IRS collections; for emancipation – especially young people – find ways to facilitate access to the first home; continue the chosen investment path for recovery and energy transition. We should never neglect the importance of local governments, who must be encouraged to be part of the solution, through affordable rent and reduction in tax rates such as IMT or IMI.
What immediate measures should be taken to solve the increasingly serious water shortage in much of the territory, especially in the South?
The lack of water is a clear manifestation of the impact of climate change. Part of the solution is finding alternative channels for capturing this resource, such as desalination and wastewater treatment plants. The government has a duty to legislate on the Basic Climate Law and set ambitious targets for reducing water loss.
Do you agree to the return of military conscription to solve the huge shortage of personnel in the armed forces?
No. In order to increase the workforce in the military, police and fire brigades, it is necessary to find alternative forms of incentive, other than through mandatory means, through career advancement in terms of salary and other benefits, thereby guaranteeing technical professionalization.
Source: DN
