“We currently have a nation being governed by those who show no love for our country. What this Government is truly implementing is the fiscal policy of the Liberal Initiative, followed by basically adopting the program of the far-right, without a strategic vision for our national issues,” remarked Isabel Mendes Lopes.
Speaking to Lusa regarding the upcoming state of the nation debate scheduled for Thursday, the parliamentary leader of Livre argued that the government manages in a “populist manner, without concrete concern for the real problems of the country and its people, be they Portuguese or foreigners.”
From Livre’s perspective, the government pushes forward “proposals that do not address the country’s real problems but rather create smoke and mirrors, fundamentally catering to the far-right agenda.”
The party is especially concerned about the rising housing prices in Portugal and the “quite chaotic situation” of the National Health Service (SNS), particularly in obstetric and pediatric emergencies and the INEM.
When asked if, under the current parliamentary configuration, where the left is more diminished, it is harder to oppose, Isabel Mendes Lopes affirmed that it is indeed so, but not because of the left.
“In reality, it is much more due to the right’s stance and the Government’s approach that it has been difficult to oppose, as there is no respect for parliament, no respect for parliamentary dialogue,” she accused.
Isabel Mendes Lopes criticized that the PSD/CDS-PP executive “chooses whom to engage in dialogue with” and cited the example of meetings called by the prime minister regarding Defense only involving Chega and PS, or on immigration, where these parties, along with IL, were included.
“There are more parties in parliament, more citizens represented in parties also present in parliament with whom the Government should engage in dialogue with total loyalty, and we want to have this dialogue with the Government, even when we know the positions differ,” she appealed.
The party, which proposed a parliamentary inquiry on the preparation, readiness, and planning for large-scale crises and emergencies following the energy blackout on April 28, regrets that the Government shows little concern for preparing the country for extreme events.
Isabel Mendes Lopes expressed the hope that during the parliamentary debate, the government will explain what measures it plans to take to reduce housing prices, reiterating the regulation of the emergency housing fund proposed by Livre in the 2024 State Budget.
“But, above all, we would like to see a different attitude from the Government, to acknowledge existing problems and not create new ones, to avoid creating bogeymen or exaggerating problems that are, in practice, much easier to solve than the Government perceives, and indeed look at the country we have and address the problems we face,” she insisted.
The debate on the state of the nation, the first since the XXV Constitutional Government took office, is scheduled for next Thursday and will be attended by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the rest of the government cabinet.
