At the opening of the state of the nation debate, in a 25-minute speech, Luís Montenegro reiterated that the people voted for political stability and for a four-year term in the early elections held on May 18.
“But the people did not stop there. Portugal, the Portuguese, also spoke to the opposition. They said that the time for sterile tactics, constant noise, and systematic obstruction no longer serves Portugal,” he argued.
For Montenegro, “it is now up to each one to interpret and respond on their own,” considering that “it is time to rise to the occasion, to cooperate, to build, to contribute with seriousness.”
“Because Portugal cannot be a country of power games at any cost. Portugal demands clarity, constructive dialogue, a spirit of convergence, and a sense of state. All clear, always respecting the role of supervision and democratic alternative by the opposition,” he stated.
The Prime Minister called for the “responsibility of all political forces” to achieve “the transformation that the Portuguese chose, the stability that the Portuguese requested.”
“And when we speak of responsibility, we are not asking the opposition to stop opposing. On the contrary: when we call for responsibility, we are asking the parties to add their ideas to the change. To work with us side by side to improve the lives of the Portuguese. To join the transformation and effort of the country,” he urged.
For Montenegro, “the role of the opposition is not to say the opposite of the government, but naturally to fight for their convictions.”
“As we believe that the role of the government is not to combat the opposition, but to include them in the country’s project. Therefore, humility and political courage, availability and a spirit of dialogue, reflection and constructive debate, responsibility and democratic respect, and credibility and institutional confidence are needed from everyone,” he considered.
