New Government led by Montenegro takes office today

The new Executive chosen by Luís Montenegro will take office this Tuesday. The ceremony will take place at the Ajuda National Palace, in Lisbon, marking the end of a cycle of silence on the part of Montenegro, which has said little or nothing since election night. Three days later, it will be the turn of the new secretaries of State, whose list has not yet been released.

Luís Montenegro only spoke at the end of the two hearings he had in Belém on the 20th and 21st of March, but without answering questions about the challenges of governing with a short parliamentary majority (80 PSD/CDS deputies against 78 from the PS and with a bench of 50 Chega parliamentarians).

Another moment was in Brussels, already as prime minister-designate, telling the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that “there is no reason to call into question the stability of the country” or “the stability of a government solution , which, although it does not have an absolute majority in the Assembly of the Republic, has the confidence of voters”. And, at that time, he promised speed in the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) to “catch up on delays”, criticisms that were denied by the Government of António Costa.

After taking office, the new Executive has until the 10th to present the Government’s program that will have to be presented in the Assembly of the Republic and, taking into account what happened in the choice of the president of the Assembly of the Republic, it is expected that requires real political maneuvering.

Remember that the AD program – priorities that were repeated on election night – envisaged “reducing the tax burden” and making the Portuguese economy “grow more”; “implement an emergency health program within the first 60 days of the Government”; “give stability to public schools”, with “more demand and quality”; stop the increase in housing prices and improve access with “more supply, on the public and private side”; “give security forces better working and remuneration conditions”, arguing that “it is possible to change the justice system and combat corruption more effectively.