The PSD chairman pledged to “give no rest to the PS government” and to fulfill the mission of “giving Portugal a new government”, in a message released on social networks this Sunday to mark a year of his election.
“Portugal needs hope, we cannot resign ourselves to this characteristic of PS governments, which is impoverishment. We see young people leaving, we see those who earn low wages in active life, we see those who are retired fear that the government cuts them off their pension,” says Luís Montenegro.
Alternatively, he proposes a “Portugal of hope”, with an answer to people’s everyday problems, such as the cost of living, health, education, justice, crime, “increased insecurity” or the “shortcomings in housing”. .
“We are in the PSD and fulfilling our mission to give Portugal a new government. We are not going to give rest to this PS government, its ineffectiveness, a government entangled in business, affairs, scandals, in an unprecedented institutional degradation to today in Portugal,” he criticized.
On May 28, 2022, a few months after the PS won an absolute majority in the parliamentary elections with a term until 2026, the former parliamentary leader of the PSD won easily – 72.5% of Jorge Moreira da Silva – the direct elections in the PSD , goal that had failed two years earlier, against then-President Rui Rio.
Luís Montenegro will not have been in office for a year until July 3, as he only assumed full functions as party president in Porto’s Congress.
While there are theoretically three years left before parliamentary elections, since December the PSD’s political message, with the succession of cases related to TAP involving various members of the executive branch, has hardened since December and the word has dissolution unexpectedly entered politics. discourse, including that of the President of the Republic.
Luís Montenegro has never called for early elections, even after Infrastructure Minister João Galamba remained in government, but he has already assured that he is ready to challenge them at any time.
After publicly having disagreements with the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, over whether or not the PSD is a solid alternative to the government, the leader of the PSD received strong support from Aníbal Cavaco Silva a week ago .
The former prime minister and president of the republic not only found “completely untrue” that the PSD does not present an alternative policy, but even said that Montenegro is “as much or better prepared” than when he took over as head of government. .
Montenegro set the tone and this week went to Madeira to tell the PS that “power is not eternal”: “Our turn is coming,” he warned.
In these first months of his term, Montenegro has experienced almost complete internal calm, has distanced itself from the Chega party, but the lawsuits have also affected the social democrats.
Joaquim Pinto Moreira – one of those closest to Montenegro in the 2020 internal campaign – was made arguido in “Operation Vortex” at the end of March and suspended his deputy mandate, but on Friday he informed parliament that he wants to return. The PSD leadership says it is surprised and will hold a meeting of its hard core on Monday.
This week, several Social Democrats, including current deputy Carlos Eduardo Reis (who is not accused and has never been heard), had their names implicated in a series of TVI/CNN Portugal reports based on wiretaps and “Operation Tutti” communications. . Frutti,” with the PSD calling for speed of the investigation and warning that it will not tolerate ethical or legal errors.
Source: DN
