As the presidential candidate backed by the Bloco de Esquerda, speaking at a Civic Front debate on “The Role of the President of the Republic in Combating Corruption,” expressed concern over the Government’s handling of issues like Health and Education.
She noted, “This is dramatic. We have a Government that is routinely refusing to acknowledge the problems the country faces. Look, we have the Government wanting to discuss a labor package that will make life harder for everyone working and has no idea about school and the more vulnerable children. It has no idea about access to health care and the wait times that are unbearable,” she stated.
She continued, “If there’s anything I can contribute to, both in this presidential campaign and as President of the Republic, it’s in this appeal and demand for the Government and Parliament to work on what genuinely concerns people, finding fewer excuses and more solutions.”
“Especially since we need to understand that those working in hospitals are doing miracles every day in impossible situations, as are those working in schools,” added Catarina Martins.
Referring to the findings of the report on the state of Education, released today, indicating that foreign and deprived students are among the most affected by inequalities, the candidate emphasized the urgency of having “a strong school for everyone.”
“Today is the day we must acknowledge, one, the extraordinary work done by teachers and all school staff, because despite many challenges, schools in Portugal are still functioning. Two, much more investment is needed to ensure everyone has access to education, and in a country where issues like integration are so critical, having support in schools and language support in schools is crucial.”
Considering that the report’s conclusions only surprise those who have been “inattentive,” Catarina Martins recalled, “I’ve been saying for years that there is a shortage of teachers in schools, that there is a lack of technical staff to support teaching and learning.”
“Successive promises were made to teachers to solve this problem, but they haven’t had any impact, haven’t reached those in need, and therefore we continue to have thousands of students without classes on one hand, and on the other hand, the most vulnerable students naturally suffer more because they are the ones who needed more support,” she said.
When asked whether left-wing candidates are taking a great risk by not seeking understandings at a time when polls continue to suggest the presence of right-wing candidates in the second round, Catarina Martins spoke of mobilization and said she was “happy” because she feels her campaign is “growing.”
“I will submit the signatures tomorrow [Wednesday] and I think that is an important step to discuss what is needed in Portugal. Because the worst that can happen to democracy is for people who believe in decency, who believe that we as a country can do better, not even going to vote in the presidential elections because they don’t hear anyone talking about what concerns them, whether it’s their salary, the rent on their house, or the supermarket or pharmacy bill,” she added.
And she concluded, “I am here to say that there will be a President of the Republic who cares about people’s lives.”
