Former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pedro Duarte, expressed on Thursday that Carlos Abreu Amorim “is fully equipped to be a much better minister” than himself, while emphasizing that if any problems arise in Parliament, “it will be due to the irresponsibility of the oppositions.”
When asked about the choice of the former Secretary of State to assume the role of Parliamentary Affairs, Pedro Duarte praised the social democrat as “an exceedingly well-prepared individual in all aspects, whether intellectually, academically, politically, or behaviorally.”
“I think he will certainly be a consensus builder, fostering an environment conducive to implementing the much-needed reforms in the country, with Parliament’s support,” he said in an interview with SIC Notícias.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate for the Porto City Council illustrated that “at times, the public image of a person is very different from the real image,” reinforcing that “Carlos Abreu Amorim is fully capable of being a much better minister than I was and a bridge-builder for dialogue because he is a much more balanced and moderate person.”
“We have worked together and have been very aligned. He was an important right hand to me last year, and I think he has all the conditions to do an excellent job, without needing any advice,” he reiterated.
“There is unequivocally a majority party”
Pedro Duarte also emphasized that “there are not three divided forces” in Parliament, while acknowledging that the political landscape in the Assembly of the Republic (AR) is highly fragmented.
“There is one force that is clearly a majority and is far ahead of the other two parties. Unlike in the previous legislature, this time there is undoubtedly a majority party. From the standpoint of the country’s stability, I believe this will make a significant difference,” he clarified.
He added, “There are all the conditions this time for the opposition parties to have a sense of responsibility and statehood, ensuring political stability. I think all of us, the Portuguese, are tired of political crises, one election after another. According to what our Constitution rightly dictates, mandates are four years. Therefore, when a government takes office and a program is approved, it is supposed to be given the opportunity to execute it. I hope this happens in the coming years. […] If we encounter problems in Parliament, it will be due to the irresponsibility of the oppositions.”
“If Chega reaches a certain maturity, it may be possible to have a normal democratic relationship”
With respect to the exponential growth of Chega, the former minister pointed out that “the government must dialogue with everyone,” particularly because it does not hold an absolute majority.
“Those in government roles must play a highly institutional part. Therefore, they must look at the opposition without making distinctions, evidently recognizing each one’s significance, but they should not make choices. The choices lie with the opposition,” he stated.
The social democrat maintained that “the burden of proof falls on Chega,” given “what has happened in recent years.”
“They will have to prove they possess a sense of responsibility because, objectively, they haven’t shown it. We notice that, especially from André Ventura but across the whole party, there is a significant oscillation depending on the day. If Chega reaches a certain maturity, it may be possible to have a normal democratic relationship in parliamentary terms. But I think if they continue with their conduct of recent years, that’s impossible,” he warned.
Pedro Duarte also admitted to having “hope” in the close relationship between Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Chega leader, noting that “personal preferences, whims, or likes are not on the table.”
“I am a believer, so let’s believe this relationship will go well and have that hope. I understand that the prime minister must have this attitude because when we are performing public functions of this nature, it’s not personal preferences, whims, or likes that are on the table. It’s about respecting democratic rules. We are democrats, and we have to be democrats when the results are in our favor, and also when they are not,” he said.
It should be noted that President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa inaugurated the Prime Minister and the 16 ministers of the XXV Constitutional Government, the second PSD/CDS-PP Government led by Luís Montenegro, on Thursday.
The inauguration of the Secretaries of State is scheduled for Friday at 12:00 p.m., also at the National Palace of Ajuda in Lisbon.
