The Democratic Alliance (AD) accused, this Wednesday, the Socialist Party (PS) of using the same arguments as Chega, to “evade the debate” with Sebastião Bugalho, head of the coalition’s list for the European Elections.
In a statement, cited by Lusa, and signed by the director of the candidacy campaign, Emídio Guerreiro, the AD: “Regrets the definitive refusal of the Socialist Party to accept a face-to-face with the AD proposed by RTP/SIC/TVI, which would take place on May 23rd, a fact that prevented the implementation of the second proposal presented by the television stations”.
AD informs, in the note, that it accepted a third proposal from the television stations, “which consists of holding six debates with four participants, without face to face”.
The second proposal, from the television stations (RTP, SIC and TVI) for the debates for the European elections, which was sent to the parties last Sunday, provided for three debates with all the political forces with parliamentary seats, and also one face-to-face. -front between the PS and the AD (coalition composed of the PSD, CDS-PP and PPM).
This model ended up generating criticism across the political spectrum, with the Left Bloc (BE) even threatening to take precautionary measures.
The AD campaign director said, this Wednesday, that the coalition is available and interested “from the first moment, in holding all the debates that the calendar allows”.
“Voters will certainly not understand the PS’s refusal, just as they would not understand that the impasse would continue indefinitely, transforming the debates into a campaign theme”, added Emídio Guerreiro.
For this reason, the AD decided to accept “a third proposal from television stations which consists of holding 6 debates with 4 participants, without face to face”. “We emphasize that to avoid the debate with our head of the list, the PS uses the same arguments as Chega, which reveals once again – and even in a matter like this – the tactical and tacit alliance between these two parties”, added the director campaign.
Emídio Guerreiro hopes that the socialists “change their stance” and accept “the invitations to others face to face that they have received” by the end of the campaign.
