“I think it would be realistic. However, I do not see from the Prime Minister the political will to achieve it, because this flagrantly contradicts the political practice of this Government, as they could have significantly increased the minimum wage and did not do so,” said António Filipe when asked about the feasibility of Luís Montenegro’s goal of reaching a minimum wage of 1,600 euros by the end of the legislature.
António Filipe, speaking to journalists after a Q&A session with students at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in Lisbon, considered the current minimum wage unjust, adding that the government “has done nothing to change this positively” and that the new labor package will negatively pressure incomes.
For the candidate supported by the PCP, this is an attempt by the Prime Minister to foresee strong adherence and “demobilize the general strike” scheduled for next Thursday.
“Naturally, workers not only have every reason to maintain it, but this proposal from the Prime Minister is somewhat brazen, considering the political practice of this Government,” he remarked.
On Saturday, the Prime Minister and PSD President, Luís Montenegro, increased the salary objectives for the country, talking about a 1,600 euro minimum wage and a 3,000 euro average, a day after mentioning lower values.
Asked about “The Economist” naming Portugal the “economy of the year,” António Filipe claimed that those responsible for that evaluation “surely do not live” in the country and use indicators that “do not reflect well on the country,” such as the impact of tourism or the non-habitual residents regime.
António Filipe also addressed statements from the Attorney General, Amadeu Guerra, calling for greater transparency from the Public Prosecutor’s Office in ongoing investigations, arguing that “there has been some opacity in front of the country and public opinion, causing some perplexity about news that emerges.”
“I believe it is important for justice to gain prestige in the citizens’ eyes, and for that, sufficient information according to the law about what justice is doing is important,” he advocated.
