In a significant address during the final stages of the state of the nation debate in parliament, Eurico Brilhante Dias of the PS criticized Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s leadership, accusing him of allying with Chega leader André Ventura, contributing to the country’s deterioration.
“This is the state of the nation. The AD has allied with Chega to form a right-wing bloc, a radical bloc ignoring the consequences of their measures,” he stated, emphasizing that PS remains a “credible, moderate, and central” alternative.
Brilhante Dias targeted health as a critical issue.
“Minister of Health, you might end up as the president of CP. Trains run on tracks just like the Metro, where your former colleague and ex-Secretary of State for Health found a place. This is meritocracy according to the AD, rewarding profound incompetence. An immorality,” he criticized.
In his closing remarks, André Ventura asserted that “there is a new majority and democratic dialogue in Portugal.”
“A majority demands change now and will no longer tolerate submissive adherence to ideological and political interests,” insisted the Chega leader, adding, “Get used to it, because we are here to stay.”
Ventura addressed Brilhante Dias, claiming no association with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro or any government ministers.
He accused the PS of fostering “corruption” and asserted that the PSD has abandoned the ‘D’ to align with the PS over the last 50 years.
The PS leader sought to defend his party’s honor, stating there were “ample evidences” to turn the debate into a “trial of a substantial part of the Chega bench,” but the Socialists chose restraint to respect the “functioning of justice.”
“Some here nostalgically remember times when corruption was unpunished,” he remarked.
Hugo Soares, leader of the PSD bench, suggested that the nation’s state “is far better than a year ago and incomparably improved from two years ago.”
He praised the measures announced by the prime minister, identifying them as “the certainties that emerge from the debate and matter to the Portuguese people.”
“The parliamentary debate yielded other conclusions. Though less relevant to the Portuguese, it remains crucial to note: amidst accusations of a weak PS and a boastful Chega, the moderation of the AD and a functioning government stands out,” he concluded.
During clarification requests to the PS, Miguel Guimarães of the PSD commented that Portugal currently has three distinct ‘D’s.
“D for demagoguery of Chega, D for PS’s impudence, and D for the disappearance of the far-left,” he noted.
