PAN spokesperson, Inês de Sousa Real, stated this Thursday that the composition of the new Government shows “a setback in terms of gender equality” and highlighted the creation of a Ministry for Youth as positive.
“Looking at the previous Government, in which there was parity between men and women, there is clearly a setback here in relation to the last three legislatures and the last Government”, he said.
The PAN’s only deputy spoke to journalists at the Assembly of the Republic, after the ministers who will make up the XXIV Constitutional Government were known.
Inês de Sousa Real highlighted “youth having been elevated to Ministry”, arguing that it is “quite positive for future generations, as the country must, once and for all, have a greater focus on this dimension of policies for the youngest, if you want to fight leaving the country”.
The PAN leader also said that “it is essential that the Portuguese can count on total transparency and prevention of conflicts of interest” and asked for “more ambition” in this area.
“It is essential that the prime minister-designate can ensure that this exercise is effectively carried out and that prevention has a greater role in the governance of our country, so that we can bring people closer to political life and trust in institutions and in particular governance , as we do not want to return to a cycle and instability marked and guided by this”, he said, appealing to the PSD to make it possible to regulate ‘lobbying’.
The PAN spokesperson also called on the next Government to have animal protection and the environment among its priorities.
“We also cannot fail to look with concern at the infrastructure portfolio, taking into account the decisions that are pending execution, such as airport solutions for the country, the national railway. All of these are programs that have to be aligned with the fight to climate change”, he argued.
Inês de Sousa Real said that, “more than just indicating names”, she wants to see the Government’s program to “understand whether the progress that has been made in recent years will be respected”, asking that there not be “currencies for exchanging rights fundamental and that we do not have setbacks”.
At this point, he highlighted the fact that CDS-PP is part of the Government – “a political force that was not even directly elected to the Assembly of the Republic and that came on the ride, almost like a surrogate mother, for the PSD” – and stated that parliament must have “a very vigilant role” regarding possible setbacks.
“Decrees that may call into question fundamental rights acquired over the last legislatures must necessarily pass through the Assembly of the Republic, to ensure that fundamental rights, human rights, environmental protection or even animal protection, do not take a step back “, he maintained.
