António Costa responded yesterday to the harsh criticism that Cavaco Silva gave him on Saturday. And in a register that recalls the “let us work” that Cavaco Silva hurled at the parliamentary opposition as prime minister: “My job is not to promote the party interests of Portugal’s right. I have to look after the national interest and guarantee that the Portuguese will benefit from the policies that have been followed and that have allowed the economy to recover.”
The head of government addressed journalists at the entrance of a luncheon on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the opening of Expo’98. [da covid-19]with the start of the war [na Ucrânia] and with inflation. That’s why Cavaco Silva went to feed that madness that is the Portuguese right now, in the sense of creating an artificial political crisis as soon as possible, so as not to give the Portuguese time to feel – as they have every right to feel – the benefits of this economic recovery,” he responded.
Cavaco said on Saturday that he was “seriously concerned about the PS administration”. In his view, “the government’s misguided policies, its incoherence and bewilderment, its lack of direction and strategic vision” are “the result of a prime minister who has lost his authority, who does not exercise the powers conferred on him by the constitution: direct the operation of the government and general policy of the executive branch and coordinate and guide all ministers.” He supported the current leader of the PSD, adding: “Luís Montenegro has clearly identified the political opponent of the PSD, it is the PS and its government. It is national politics. It is in the socialist government that the PSD must concentrate its action , it must not waste energy on other parties, nor respond to the provocations that may emanate from them. The PSD is unequivocally the only real alternative to the PS government.”
This Monday, Costa opined that Cavaco was limiting himself to “going down to earth as a party militant to come and cheer on the right in the artificial political crisis he wants to create”. In addition – added the head of government – Cavaco Silva had “the enormous frustration that he ended his presidential term by installing a government that did not want to inaugurate at all, I regret it” and therefore “back and a half stripping his institutional post. “
Costa also took the opportunity to deny alleged contradictions to what João Galamba said on TAP’s CPI about the SIS intervention: “I had no insider information and I didn’t need to have it”. He also expressed confidence in SIRP’s general secretary, Graça Mira Gomes.
Source: DN
