The socialist general secretary warned this Friday that the next four years will be tough and demanding, quoted Mário Soares as defining the PS as “the party of national unanimity” and promising political and social dialogue.
This line of action was conveyed by António Costa at the end of the evocative session of seven years of socialist governments led by him, which took place at the River Station of Terreiro do Paço, in Lisbon.
“We still have four years ahead of us – and four years that will be hard and demanding, in which year after year we will have to do what we are doing here today: accountability, because the Portuguese have not written to us.” a blank check”he said, in reference to the current political framework of an absolute majority of the PS.
On the contrary, according to the prime minister, the Portuguese attributed it to the PS “a mandate of enormous responsibility – a responsibility that the party must fulfil, assume and translate into results”🇧🇷
“We rule with a majority, but in 2023 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the PS. We must remember our DNA. In our DNA is an expression that Mário Soares used to define the PS: it is the party of national unity.” That is why our majority respects and cooperates in solidarity with the other sovereign bodies”orphan.
Antonio Costa also said that the PS “goes well with regional autonomy and enhanced decentralization” for municipalities.
“It is not because we have a majority that we do not enter into dialogue with those in the Assembly of the Republic who want to enter into dialogue with us. That is why we have approved more opposition proposals during the 2023 budget process than the previous majority [PSD/CDS] had approved in four years”defended.
In this context, the secretary-general of the PS referred to the abstentions of Livre and PAN in the budget and argued that “it’s not because they each have a deputy sheriff” which can be devalued, “because parties are not measured by the number of deputies, but by their ability to make positive proposals”🇧🇷
“In addition to parliamentary dialogue, it is more important than ever, even to build trust in these uncertain times, to deepen social dialogue”then pointed to Antonio Costa.
The prime minister then referred to the recent social consultation agreement on income, wages and competitiveness for the next four years.
“We have also reached an agreement with the civil service, which ensures everyone a perspective of multi-year evolution, guarantees the valorization of careers and a trajectory of income improvement. This is the PS that wants national harmony and will therefore exercise its majority in dialogue in the Assembly of the Republic and in negotiations with the social partners”he added, at an event where he endorsed the powerpoint speech with what he considered some of the achievements of socialist governance since 2015 to date.
Source: DN
