José Luís Carneiro criticized the government on Tuesday in Penafiel, Porto district, suggesting a lack of political courage and state sense in managing forest crises. During his visit to the Agrival – Feira Agrícola do Vale do Sousa, Carneiro, while speaking to reporters about the Socialist Party’s stance on the government’s forest pact proposal, stated, “The PS has held a very constructive position.”
Carneiro noted his suggestion to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism on August 1, which he said the government deemed unnecessary until aircraft malfunctions delayed operations, leading to a late request for aid from Morocco and subsequently activating the European Mechanism.
He further criticized the government’s failure to move from an Alert to a Contingency situation, calling it a “mistake” by Luís Montenegro’s administration (PSD/CDS-PP). Carneiro also highlighted his unheeded call for a State of Calamity declaration, expressing concern about potential negative consequences of this inaction.
Responding to a proposed forest pact from 2025 to 2050, Carneiro accused the government of deflecting responsibility for ongoing issues, urging accountability for inaction during its term. He accused the administration of plagiarizing PS initiatives, undermining inter-party trust.
Highlighting past forest reform efforts blocked by PSD opposition, Carneiro demanded explanations on unimplemented policies. He pressed for answers to queries sent last Thursday on the rustic property reform and management strategies like village condominiums, Integrated Landscape Management Areas, and Fuel Break Zones.
Additionally, Carneiro sought updates on cadastral property measures, the Forestgal public company’s progress, and producer support initiatives for forest maintenance. Proposing a new program akin to VITIS, he advocated support for small producers and local authorities for voluntary and administrative land maintenance duties.
He left with a notable proposal: incorporating an aid mechanism in the Local Finance Law reform to assist municipalities in fulfilling maintenance responsibilities.
