João Leão, Minister of Finance from June 2020 to March 2022; Pedro Nuno Santos, Minister of Infrastructure from October 2019 to last January; Fernando Medina, current finance minister. These will be the main goals of the “assessment” of TAP’s “political tutelage” in the crosshairs of the national airline’s parliamentary committee of inquiry proposed by the Bloco de Esquerda. With the votes of the PS majority, the committee is made possible – a proposal from Chega on the way.
In terms of governance, the “targets” will all come from the PS – an acting minister (Medina) and two former ministers (João Leão and Pedro Nuno Santos) – and this Wednesday it became known that, contrary to foreseeable, it will still be a socialist delegate to direct the work of the committee and not one of Chega.
In parliament, committee chairs are distributed according to the weight of each parliamentary group. It had been explained at the last leadership conference that there was a tie between Chega and PS following the usual Hondt method in the distribution of presidencies, and the decision was left to a meeting to be held next Wednesday.
According to statements later given by the leader of the Socialist Bank, Eurico Brilhante Dias, “the tiebreak has so far been resolved by the services of the Assembly of the Republic, giving priority to the parliamentary group with more presidents, more deputies” – hence the decision is in favor of the socialists.
“The only goal that the PS has in this discussion is to save the finance minister, even the chairman of the parliamentary committee of inquiry did not want that.”
However, the same deputy added that his party “has a different view, given that if the rules are silent then electoral law should be applied and priority should be given to those with fewer elected representatives”. That is, “the procedure was clear and the presidency would be Chega’s”.
However, it happened that the remaining parties argued that in the current legislature the procedure followed so far should be maintained and that this situation should be made explicit in the revision of the Rules, with new rules in September in the new session. “We don’t want to turn a procedural issue into a political one, that’s why this presidency will be of the PS,” Brilhante Dias said.
“Oblivion is one thing, the state of denial reached by the absolute majority of António Costa is another.”
In the afternoon of the parliamentary plenary session, the projects BE and Chega were discussed with a view to the establishment of the committee of inquiry. It was there that Socialist deputy Carlos Pereira confirmed: “We will not vote for the Chega Commission of Inquiry and we will vote for the BE.”
Hugo Carneiro, deputy of the PSD, accused the PS of presenting itself “timidly” in the debate. “The only goal that the PS has in this discussion is to save the finance minister, even the chairman of the parliamentary committee of inquiry did not want that,” he criticized.
Mariana Mortágua, from BE, explained the party’s goal: “Break with the vice of denial and forgetting, bring transparency to TAP’s management, investigate responsibilities and reverse decisions that offend employees and harm the public interest”. “Oblivion is one thing, another is the state of denial reached by the absolute majority of António Costa” and hence the proposal of the Commission of Inquiry, explained the blocking deputy.
Purpose of the committee
“Political Guardianship”
Evaluate the exercise of political oversight over the management of TAP-SGPS and TAP-SA, in particular in the period between 2020 and 2022, under public scrutiny, namely:
Alexandra Reis (me)
The process of co-opting, appointing or appointing Alexandra Reis to the management of TAP-SGPS and TAP-SA and the other directors and the conditions of application of the respective legal framework;
Alexandra Reis (II)
The process and nature of the appointment of Alexandra Reis to the Board of Directors of NAV and the possible connection with the process of leaving the Board of Directors of TAP.
Disclaimers
The process of dissociating members of the governing bodies of TAP-SGPS and TAP-SA and the practice regarding compensation payments.
Reward
Remuneration paid to the members of the governing bodies of TAP-SGPS and TAP-SA, in their various divisions.
Shareholder relationship
The quality of shareholder information and the involvement of public decision makers in decision making at TAP-SGPS and TAP-SA.
TAP responsibility
The management decisions of TAP-SGPS and TAP-SA that may have harmed the interests of the company and thereby the public interest.
State responsibility
The supervisory responsibilities, both of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Infrastructure, in the decisions taken at TAP-SGPS and TAP-SA.
Source: DN
