Socialist leader Augusto Santos Silva believes we are currently living in “one of those absurd periods” when the right is simultaneously demanding less revenue and more spending from the state, and warns that the Portuguese “don’t like absurd things”.
The also President of the Assembly of the Republic spoke at the launch of the book “Meio Século do Poder Local: As Marcas do Partido Socialista”, as President of the Coordinating Council of the Mário Soares Forum, which took place today in Lisbon.
“Everyone in parliament sees this every day: we have proposals on our left and on our right – it’s more absurd if it comes from the right – to cut state revenues, cut a tax here, cut a revenue there, and on the other hand, propose at the same time to increase spending. That is not possible now”considered.
Although his speech was addressed to the local authorities, with Santos Silva defending a “safe, careful, consolidated” path in terms of decentralization of powers and their funding, the former socialist minister left a more general warning.
“My impression as a citizen and my technical opinion as a sociologist is that, again, the right will understand that the Portuguese do not like absurd things, they like logic, and they know very well that those who at the same time propose to reduce revenues and increasing costs is not to be trusted,” he said.
In his speech, Augusto Santos Silva tried to explain the main conclusions of the book, requested by the PS but developed by an ISCTE team, in which he identified only four parties with implementation on the territory at the municipal level – PS, PSD, PCP and CDS — , but in favor of the socialists.
“PS is today the major national and popular party in Portugal, electing deputies in all constituencies, as it is also the only one to lead chambers in all districts, we must not forget this,” he noted.
For this reason, he warned, the PS must follow “the frenetic pace of daily political activity”, but without ever “forgetting the real portrait, on whom people rely to deal with populations and territories”.
Santos Silva also drew a conclusion from the book about national governance left and right and the rise of local power.
“There is only one possible analytical conclusion: it is in periods of national PS administration that the powers and resources of local authorities increase and it is in periods of right-led governments that they withdraw. They do not always withdraw. , but the periods in which they are withdrawing are right-wing governments,” he said.
Also in the field of decentralization of powers “with indispensable financial resources”, Santos Silva believed that this was mainly due to the actions of the PS.
“In the field of decentralization, the first major law was made at the end of the António Guterres administration and the second major move has taken place since 2016. In terms of financial resources, it was with revisions of the regional financial laws in 1998, 2007 and 2018, with PS governments, that local authorities now have the resources – I’m not saying necessary, they never are – but equivalent to the dimension of the powers asked of them,” he defended.
The deputy secretary general of the PS, João Torres, was also present at the session and emphasized that the socialists are leading the fate of “most municipalities and the country” and have greater responsibilities in responding to the challenges facing democracy .
“I am fully aware that if there is one thing that characterizes the PS, it is its interclass and intergenerational character and dimension. Maintaining this statute is the great task that we have in our hands, to be successful , we really need the ones who make democracy around,” he appealed.
Earlier, the chairman of the National Association of Mayors of the PS (ANA-PS), Isilda Gomes, praised Santos Silva for the way in which he performed the position of speaker of the parliament.
“You have been a bulwark in the fight against those who want to make it clear with their shouts that they are the greatest. You have known how to put them in their place, I hope you continue to do so. We are counting on you,, Because defending the Constitution and democratic values must be a priority for the PS and those who have responsibilities,” he said.
The PS launched today the Socialist Academy of Local Power, aimed at training cadres and political reflection on the part of the mayors of this party and, at the end of the first session, which took place in Centro da Esquerda, in Lisbon, the book “Half a century of local power: the characteristics of PS”.
The book, edited by Kaleidoscopia, is by Raul Lopes, António Mendes Baptista and Conceição Matos.
Source: DN
