The coordinator of the Left Bloc (BE), Mariana Mortágua, criticized the constant postponements in forest management, emphasizing that this task should be “a tribute to those fighting the fires.”
Mortágua took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, shortly after the prime minister’s address to the nation, to describe the “anguish” as “a poor backdrop for assessments.”
Nevertheless, for the BE coordinator, “one thing must be done: each year, arsonists are held accountable, and the firefighters’ impossible task is explained, but forest management is always postponed.”
“Taking this task seriously will be a tribute to those fighting the fires,” she concluded.
A angústia é um mau pano de fundo para balanços. Mas um deve ser feito: a cada ano responsabilizam-se incendiários e explica-se a tarefa impossível dos bombeiros, mas adia-se sempre o ordenamento da floresta. Levar a sério esta tarefa será uma homenagem a quem combate os fogos.
— mariana mortágua (@MRMortagua) August 18, 2025
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro deferred an assessment of the timing of activating the European Civil Protection Mechanism for a later date, yet expressed readiness to undergo scrutiny and respond before the country and parliament.
In statements to the press after attending a briefing and meeting with the Civil Protection command in Carnaxide, Montenegro was asked if he regretted not activating the European Civil Protection Mechanism earlier.
In response, the prime minister highlighted that the mechanism has “operational rules,” and the government followed, from an operational standpoint, “the indications given for reconciling the national aerial resources” and the need for potential reinforcement, stressing that other European countries, including those in the north of the continent, are also dealing with forest fires.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro deferred an assessment of the timing of activating the European Civil Protection Mechanism for a later date, yet expressed readiness to undergo scrutiny and respond before the country and parliament.
Lusa | 14:06 – 18/08/2025
