Montenegro remembers IRS and asks PS and Chega if they want to “govern” together | European elections

In view of the criticism surrounding the choice of Sebastião Bugalho as head of the AD list for the European elections, Luís Montenegro sought to defend this Sunday that it was a matter of coherence, countering that the PS and Chega have a problem of incoherence regarding their political alliances. And he challenged both to clarify whether they will form a permanent negative coalition against the Government in Parliament.

Arguing that the PSD is “the only party that does not have a coherence problem”, the leader of the Social Democrats considered that the PS “will have a lot of difficulty” during the electoral campaign “in saying why in Portugal it accepts to have a vision of government and a sharing of government with parties that do not trust the European Union, the euro and NATO”, referring to the former partners in the “contraption”, the BE and the PCP.

And he assumed that he will “urge” the PS to “show coherence” throughout the campaign. Regarding Chega, he stated that “he will have to explain why he goes hand in hand in Europe with Italian, French and German parties that defend Putin’s Russian regime”.

Montenegro was speaking at the official presentation of Sebastião Bugalho as head of the list, at the European University of AD, where he justified his choice with the fact that he wanted to make a candidacy “of young people, of merit, of boldness, of those available, even though they have no party affiliation to make a contribution.”

The name of Sebastião Bugalho, read as a media bet and in attracting young voters, generated surprise and controversy due to the fact that he had no experience and was a journalist and commentator. Montenegro admitted that the candidacy is raising “problems”, but sought to eliminate them by stating that “one of the easiest to solve” is that of youth because “it is an advantage”.

“We are being consistent once again. We did not go and look for a member of the Government that we fired a while ago”, he argued, in an allusion to the head of the PS list, Marta Temido, who, contrary to what Montenegro says, was not fired, she fired yourself.

Europeans are not “revenge”

The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to return to the controversy over the IRS reduction and defend that the Government is “fulfilling” what it promised. But, above all, to shoot against the PS and Chega. Taking into account that the left managed to approve proposals in Parliament with Chega’s abstention, he declared that “if the PS and Chega’s idea is to simulate opposition to the Government by creating an alternative government, they will have to assume this, eye to eye, before the Portuguese”.

“It seems that PS and Chega want to approve a reduction in the IRS in Parliament that is different from that of the Government. This is governing, replacing the Government. If they want to recommend it, they can, if they want to govern instead of the Government, they have to seriously join in”, provoked.

Recalling how he was “punished about the politics of alliances” in the legislative campaign, the PSD leader stressed that the European elections are not “revenge” for the March elections, but considered that they are an “opportunity to show coherence” and asked the parties that take advantage of the campaign to “clarify these points”.

At the end of AD’s political training initiative for young people, in Aveiro, Montenegro also assumed that these European elections will be a “challenge” to guarantee “participation” and make “understand the importance” of the electoral act. As such, he stressed that it is necessary to “raise awareness” of voters to vote, namely, through early voting. And that the AD has “the obligation to raise voters’ awareness of a use that is most consistent with the country’s interests.”

This is because it is in the European Parliament that the “main axes of public policy that will be in the main decisions” in Portugal are decided, he recalled. In this context, the leader of the executive elected as a “major debate” the idea that the EU can continue to be “a bloc capable of being competitive on a global scale to generate resources that allow Member States to provide citizens with the well-being they he has”.

And while he defended that this well-being “is unparalleled” in the world, he also warned that the European project “is called into question” from an economic and demographic point of view. “If it is not transformed, it is not viable”, he said, defending the importance of “competitiveness” and “wealth creation” to guarantee “social sustainability”.

The AD list for the European elections was approved on Monday by the PSD national council and the name of Sebastião Bugalho, read as a media bet and in attracting young voters, generated surprise and controversy due to the fact that he had no political experience and was journalist and commentator.