In Portugal, since the onset of the pandemic, “prices have risen 10 times more than wages,” leading people to choose between paying for groceries or housing and between groceries or pharmacy needs, stated Joana Amaral Dias, head of the ADN list in Lisbon.
Speaking to the Lusa agency in Elvas, Portalegre district, Joana Amaral Dias reported crossing the border to visit the Spanish city of Badajoz to compare the cost of living in the two countries.
“On the other side of the border, prices are much more controlled,” she noted, highlighting that many Portuguese travel across the border for shopping.
In Spain, according to the candidate, fuel prices are “10% to 20% cheaper, a gas bottle is half the price, and basic foodstuffs are noticeably cheaper,” while the average Spanish salary “is 40% higher than the Portuguese one.”
She declared, “It is clear that the Portuguese people are being robbed,” blaming the inflation increase on the European plan to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opportunistic price hikes by major supermarket chains.
Regarding fuel prices, the head of the ADN list in Lisbon proposed “ending the carbon tax,” arguing that “it makes absolutely no sense and increases the final price” of gasoline and diesel.
Accompanied by Bruno Fialho, president of ADN, Joana Amaral Dias visited the Elvas Fire Station, where she discussed the challenges the organization faces with its commander, Paulo Moreiras, and the president of the humanitarian association, Amadeu Martins.
One of the topics discussed with the fire station crew was the Integrated System of Emergency and Security Networks of Portugal (SIRESP), particularly concerning the failures experienced during the power outage on April 28.
She criticized, “In many interior areas of Portugal, SIRESP doesn’t work, there is no signal, and this is unacceptable, given the significant investment made.”
Joana Amaral Dias sarcastically noted that the current “miraculous solution” for SIRESP is to form yet another working group, predicting the creation of “a few more positions to do work that should have been completed years ago.”
In a symbolic gesture, Joana Amaral Dias and Bruno Fialho delivered several pallets of water to the fire station and urged the Portuguese public to make donations and support fire departments across the country.
