IL available for dialogue and Free “hardly” accompanies OE. PAN expects minority executive in “dialogue majority”

The PCP considered that the new Prime Minister’s speech, upon his inauguration, proves the “Government’s insistence” on the options responsible for the country’s problems, such as low wages and pensions and the degradation of public services.

“The intervention of the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, confirms the insistence of the PSD and CDS Government in continuing the guidelines and options that are responsible for the problems in our country”, stated the communist parliamentary leader, Paula Santos.

The PCP deputy reacted to Montenegro’s speech in the Assembly of the Republic, as the party was not present at the inauguration ceremony of the new executive, which took place late this afternoon at the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, in Lisbon.

As he said, it was the guidelines that the PSD and CDS-PP Government now intend to pursue that “led to low wages, low pensions, the degradation of public services”, as well as the privatization of strategic sectors of the Portuguese economy.

This is when, according to Paula Santos, “it is necessary” for Portugal to increase salaries and pensions, invest in the National Health Service (SNS), provide public housing and protect tenants.

The leader of the PCP bench also regretted that the prime minister made reference to young people in his speech, but “without ever mentioning the cause” that leads many to leave the country, reiterating that this happens due to low wages and instability that they feel.

“There was no word for effective salary increases. The path that it points to, if pursued, will only lead to a worsening of these same problems”, warned Paula Santos, also referring to the tax reduction proposed by the Government of the Democratic Alliance.

For the communist leader, the new Government does not present an “option for a fair fiscal policy” to alleviate taxation on labor income, on micro, small and medium-sized companies, intending, on the other hand, to “reduce taxes, but for economic groups”.

He also pointed to the example of Health, defending the need to guarantee access to all users through investment in the NHS, instead of “directing and transferring more public resources to private groups that profit at the expense of the disease”.

“It seems that there is already an exercise on the part of Luís Montenegro to escape the commitments made. What is in fact necessary is to respond to the problems”, highlighted Paula Santos.