“There are values and principles from which we can never abdicate. (…) We will therefore wait for the government’s respect and for the government to be aware that it must choose with whom it wants to engage in dialogue,” stated José Luís Carneiro to journalists in Leiria, ahead of a meeting with party members to present his candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS).
When questioned about the Government’s Programme, submitted today to the Assembly of the Republic, a document in which the executive led by Luís Montenegro reiterates the promise of dialogue with the opposition, the Socialist emphasized: “[The dialogue] cannot be on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with some, and on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with others.”
“And there is no Sunday rest either, because the country needs a lot of work and dedication,” he declared.
During the presentation of the 25th Constitutional Government Program, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Carlos Abreu Amorim, stated that it is a document “for four years” and aims to “truly transform the country.”
Noting he had not had the opportunity to thoroughly read the document, the sole candidate for the position of Secretary-General of the PS stated he wants “to know where the Prime Minister intends to go.”
“He said he had a perspective of going to the right, going to the left, going forward, going back. Let’s see how he wants to proceed,” he clarified, reiterating that the PS “is a party that wants to contribute to serving the country.”
José Luís Carneiro insisted that the PS is available to contribute to governmental stability, admitting that “there are matters of strategic cooperation with the Government” and added that there are others specific to the party, “to meet the people’s interests.”
“You can count on the Socialist Party to serve the country’s interest, the people’s interest. And we will try to avoid distracting ourselves with aspects that do not concern people’s lives,” he assured, explaining that people’s lives involve improving incomes and living conditions, housing, health, democracy quality, and security.
The Socialist candidate further expressed having two “fundamental concerns” regarding the country’s interests, which are to ensure economic growth and to combat disparities.
According to José Luís Carneiro, the economy “must grow based on knowledge, on innovation,” highlighting the need to “ensure the economy gets a technological boost to be more productive, create more wealth,” and provide better salaries.
The second priority relates to “territorial development contracts,” namely, “to combat the disparities that still exist in the country.”
For the Socialist, territorial development contracts “should include tax incentives, particularly for companies and job creation” in significant sectors of the national economy.
“And we should seek out the strengths of each territory, and the State should contract with these territories on development strategies,” he added.
Deputy José Luís Carneiro is the sole candidate in the direct elections for Secretary-General of the PS, scheduled for the 27th and 28th of this month, to choose the successor to Pedro Nuno Santos, who resigned following a defeat in the legislative elections.
