“The prime minister’s statement is a declaration by someone more concerned with his image and the government’s image than with addressing the issues affecting the population,” stated the PCP parliamentary leader, Paula Santos, speaking to journalists in the Assembly of the Republic after a press conference by Luís Montenegro on Thursday following an extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting in Viseu.
Paula Santos argued that if the prime minister were “truly concerned about the population,” he would not have “cut 114 million euros in forest investment within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (PEPAC)” last year.
Regarding the measures approved at that extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting, Paula Santos emphasized that the announced support for the population, farmers, and small forest producers needs to be “effectively implemented.”
“We have seen, over several years following fires, various measures being announced. Many are delayed, and many have not been implemented,” Paula Santos noted, adding that beyond support, measures for soil stabilization are also necessary.
With respect to the forest management plan announced by the executive, Paula Santos stated it had been announced previously, noting she had heard many plans presented by both PSD/CDS and PS governments and emphasized the need to implement them with investment in forestry, valuing rural life, and forest reorganization.
Paula Santos stressed that all these issues “have long been identified,” recalling that after the Pedrógão Grande fires in 2017, an independent technical committee issued a set of recommendations that were not adopted.
The PCP parliamentary leader insisted on the need for a “different perspective on the Civil Protection system,” enhancing firefighting equipment, especially aerial resources, and using the current moment to recognize and value the firefighting career.
“The PCP, in this legislature, has already submitted a bill to recognize firefighting as a high-risk profession. We cannot [only] remember and value firefighters at this moment when they are indeed tireless in their work. It is necessary that this is reflected in their daily lives,” she maintained.
Asked whether she thinks the government should have declared a state of calamity, a possibility dismissed by Luís Montenegro, Paula Santos mentioned “great indignation” from the population and local authorities, asserting that it is a possibility that should be considered “where necessary.”
The mainland of Portugal has faced numerous large-scale rural fires since July, particularly in the North and Central regions.
The fires have resulted in three deaths, including a firefighter, and several injuries, some severe, and have destroyed or partially damaged homes, agricultural and livestock facilities, and forested areas.
