The president of CDS-PP, Nuno Melo, has accused the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), Pedro Nuno Santos, of “disparaging and attacking” the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro. He highlighted the need for a thorough examination of the measures outlined in the Socialist electoral program.
“For 40 days, the Socialist Party has had an electoral program, which consists of disparaging and attacking Luís Montenegro. This has been the program of the Socialist Party and, truthfully, of the left,” Melo stated during an interview with RTP 3.
Regarding the measures presented on Saturday by the PS Secretary-General, Nuno Melo criticized them for being presented with the same nonchalance with which Pedro Nuno Santos, as a minister, announced half-million-euro compensations via WhatsApp or proposed two airports that led to none.
“There is one certainty: The measures must be scrutinized very carefully. We need to understand how they will be funded,” he remarked.
When asked if the Democratic Alliance could suffer in the upcoming elections due to controversies surrounding Luís Montenegro, Nuno Melo argued that the Prime Minister might be the most targeted, documented, and scrutinized leader, providing more explanations than any other in Portuguese democracy.
He further emphasized that recent polls indicate that the Portuguese perceive Luís Montenegro as “more competent and honest.”
“I am reasonably optimistic about the future because, to become Prime Minister, credibility is key, and I have no doubt that the Portuguese acknowledge Luís Montenegro’s credibility as significantly higher than that of Pedro Nuno Santos for becoming the Prime Minister of Portugal,” he concluded.
The Socialist Party presented its electoral program for the May 18 legislative elections on Saturday. The measures include an annual increase in the national minimum wage of at least 60 euros annually, aiming to reach 1,110 euros by 2029, and a phased reduction of the workweek to 37.5 hours.
The PS also proposes in the electoral program a permanent “Zero VAT” on a basket of food items, similar to the temporary measure applied by António Costa’s government due to inflation, and a reduction of VAT to 6% on electricity consumption up to 6.9 kVA.
The Socialist Party is unveiling its electoral program ‘A new impulse for Portugal’ for the legislative elections.
Notícias ao Minuto with Lusa | 16:25 – 05/04/2025
