The new Government’s first measure to “transform the country in four and a half years” is… to restore the Republic’s previous logo

António Leitão Amaro was responsible for the first press conference of the new Council of Ministers. Minister of the Presidency announced to the country the first of a set of measures that intend to “structurally transform the country in four and a half years”. And he did not confirm whether or not an Amending Budget is coming or not

“Less than 12 hours after this Government was sworn in, we started working on a Government of change for the Portuguese”, Leitão Amaro began by announcing. According to the Minister of the Presidency, ministers are working on the Government program to present it “by April 10th”, so that it can be delivered before the constitutional deadlines.

But, before that, time to announce this Government’s first decision: to restore the Republic’s previous logo. “We have started the work of a Government that wants to bring change to the Portuguese, with humility and dialogue and with a horizon of four and a half years for a structural transformation of the country, with a change in the logo, replacing essential symbols of the country’s identity and history “, he stated. “It is our first decision and responds to a commitment we had made.”

As announced by Leitão Amaro, the statement from the Council of Ministers even reads that “the Council of Ministers decided to change the official logo used in the Government’s communication, replacing the defining elements that had been removed in a previous change, namely the sphere armillary with shield, corners and castles. The logo that had been applied by several governments and which values ​​national history, identity and culture is resumed”.

The change occurred immediately after the new Government took office and an email from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers informing about the meeting this Wednesday already used the previous image, fulfilling a promise made by Luís Montenegro on December 2nd.

The new institutional symbol of the Costa Government generated controversy because it simplified the image, removing the armillary sphere, the corners and the castles.

“Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue” (these repetitions are not typos)

Another item on the agenda of the Council of Ministers was the deliberation on the fight against corruption. “It was decided to mandate the Minister of Justice to initiate dialogue with all parties with parliamentary seats, sector agents and civil society with a view to promoting the rapid approval of an ambitious, effective and consensual agenda to combat corruption.”

This work will be done with “dialogue”, one of the words most used by Leitão Amaro during the press conference, and “this dialogue is carried out with everyone”. “It’s a government of dialogue, but dialogue takes place between everyone”, he repeated.

Shortly afterwards, he returned to the term “dialogue” when he commented on Montenegro’s warning that the coffers are not full, guaranteeing that the Government has “a program with commitments that it will fulfill” – which will be done through “dialogue with everyone, everyone , everyone, with all parties with parliamentary seats but also with Portuguese society, with agents from the various sectors, with the Portuguese”.

Regarding the timing of the proposals to combat corruption, the minister stated that the dialogue in Parliament will take place “for two months” and that then “the legislative processes will begin”, “either on a proposal from the Government, or on the initiative of parliament” .

“We insist because the issue is very important and we insist because this is to be done. (…) There is today a problem and a perception of a problem of corruption in Portugal, of integrity in public governance and the Portuguese want and the country needs answers. We insist on fighting corruption because it is an important problem. Today there is a problem of corruption in Portugal, of integrity in public governance, which worsens the quality of decision-making and wastes public resources. It is a democratic, justice and economic problem”, he explained, adding that “an important problem needs an urgent response”.

He then said that there are “budget limitations” and all “budget availability that exists must be known to the Portuguese”. “This Government wants to govern based on its electoral program. This Government has a program, with commitments, that it will fulfill”, he stated, refusing to clarify whether an Amending Budget will be presented but guaranteeing that, “in a normal framework, the Government will present a budget for next year in accordance with the terms set out in the Budgetary Framework Law”.

Regarding health, he assured that an urgent program will be presented until June 2nd, especially because “the difficulties in accessing health and the quality of this access are important and need a response”.

“A health program will have concrete answers. This is a Government that is not propaganda, not closed and limited to announcements and powerpoints – we can use materials to support our presentation but we have to take measures to solve problems. Until the 2nd of In June, the country will have an emergency health program that seeks to solve an affliction for many, many Portuguese people: women who don’t know where they are going to have their son or daughter, people who seek emergencies, consultations, care, surgeries that they don’t know when will happen, Portuguese people who wait and despair and their health conditions deteriorate because the system today does not respond. We have to respond to them.”

And the airport? And what about housing?

The Minister of the Presidency also did not clarify whether or not the Government program will be exactly the same as the electoral program with which the AD coalition (which includes PSD, CDS-PP and PPM) ran in the elections, nor when there will be a decision on the new Lisbon airport. .

“It is curious that we are asked to make things easier, that we are asked for solutions and measures that have not been carried out for years. If they were that simple, why weren’t they made?”, he asked, highlighting that commitments made in the campaign “will be quick, but they don’t all happen in 12 hours”.

Regarding the Government’s move to the Caixa Geral de Depósitos building, Leitão Amaro clarifies that “the change was not prepared” by the previous Government, but guarantees that “the Government will work to prepare this change” – “with dialogue”.

“The room where the Council of Ministers was held last week is not prepared to receive the Council of Ministers, because it is a work room at Caixa Geral de Depósitos”, he gave as an example.

During his responses to journalists, Leitão Amaro also clarified the issue of ministries, devaluing the fact that the Ministry of Housing is included in the Ministry of Infrastructure. “There is a Ministry of Housing: it is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing. Which, I guarantee, will be committed to resolving a crisis that costs all Portuguese people a lot, especially younger people, whose low salaries are not enough to pay for a house. There was a minister exclusively with this Housing portfolio and the housing crisis worsened, the measures found were inadequate and, therefore, I guarantee that the Ministry that has Housing will take measures that will make a difference, change and contribute to resolving a crisis that exists today and that we propose, with the Portuguese, to resolve.”

Regarding assessment tests in digital format, there are few clarifications. “The Government, in due course, will indicate its position.”

“No positions, no silences, no interpretations”

António Leitão Amaro refused to comment on some issues, including whether the PS is the preferred dialogue partner or the absence of the PS secretary general, Pedro Nuno Santos, at the inauguration of the new Government. “I will not comment on questions that were formulated about the positions or words of this or other party leaders,” he said, adding later that he would not “comment on positions, silences, or interpretations.”

Regarding whether the diplomas that the PS Government said it had ready to implement the next transfer of the Recovery and Resilience Plan will be approved, Leitão Amaro stated that the new Government only intends to transmit “definitive decisions”.

“Over the next few weeks we will realize that the previous Government – which transmitted its message – wanted to inspire certain perceptions… But we are transmitting what we do, not promises of what we would one day do.”