As the meeting of the PS National Political Commission convenes in Lisbon to discuss the nation’s state, Eurico Brilhante Dias offered a critical assessment of the PSD/CDS-PP government. He stated that “essentially, the country’s problems in many dimensions have worsened,” and Portugal “is worse off today than it was in March 2024.”
“Dr. Luís Montenegro needs to normalize Chega to build this right-wing bloc with them. And that is what he is doing, normalizing Chega and its ideas, to continue negotiating on the Right and continue conversations with Dr. André Ventura,” he condemned.
When asked if this marked the end of PSD’s “no means no” stance on Chega, the socialist parliamentary leader noted that it “ended long ago,” not just on immigration issues but also on IRS matters when the two parties “joined forces to block a PS proposal.”
“There is a long road of preparation ahead, but the truth is that the political alternative in the country today, after what we have seen in recent weeks, is the Socialist Party because, truly, Dr. Luís Montenegro said he would soar. He soared and apparently landed in the lap of Dr. André Ventura,” he accused.
According to Eurico Brilhante Dias, the country is experiencing “the second edition of Dr. Luís Montenegro’s famous statement that the country is better, but the Portuguese are not,” from 2014 when PSD and CDS ruled, led by Pedro Passos Coelho during the ‘troika’ intervention.
“And fundamentally, that is what Dr. Luís Montenegro is telling us today. He believes the country is better, particularly in health; no Portuguese believes that healthcare in Portugal is better today,” he criticized.
