Nuno Melo, the current Minister of Defense, leveled criticisms against Pedro Nuno Santos during a rally that crowded the Municipal Market of Vila Nova de Famalicão. Melo emphasized that the Democratic Alliance is a coalition between two parties, the CDS and the PSD.
Nuno Melo, a native of Famalicão, highlighted that this municipality in the Braga district is the largest exporter in Northern Portugal and the third largest in the country. He used this data to urge Portuguese citizens to compare the “brand” of Pedro Nuno Santos with that of the PSD/CDS government.
“Someone who wasn’t fit to be a minister cannot be a better prime minister now,” he argued before making more specific criticisms of the current PS Secretary-General. In a challenge to the audience, he said, “Tell me a clear mark of Pedro Nuno Santos in housing policies: Zero. In infrastructure, he announced two airports but in the end, built none — and left through the back door,” he pointed out.
The Democratic Alliance, on the other hand, according to the Christian Democratic leader, in 11 months of governance, increased wages and pensions, lowered taxes, pacified 19 socio-professional classes, achieved the largest budget surplus and reduced public debt to pre-2009 levels.
Politically, Nuno Melo accused Pedro Nuno Santos of leading the PS as the most radical in the history of Portuguese democracy. He made a slip by referencing Iniciativa Liberal when he meant to refer to the Livre party.
He claimed Pedro Nuno Santos wants “to join hands with the extremes,” governing with the PCP, Bloco de Esquerda, IL [sic], and PAN. “It’s like saying, possibly, with Mariana Mortágua as the Minister of Finance,” he added.
According to the Minister of Defense, Pedro Nuno Santos was indeed “the great theorizer of the Geringonça, which brought those who lost the elections to power in 2015. We only govern by winning,” he asserted.
In the rally’s opening speech, the Mayor of Vila Nova de Famalicão, Mário Passos, praised the political performances of Nuno Melo as Minister of Defense and Hugo Soares as the PSD’s parliamentary leader in a hostile environment in the Assembly of the Republic.
“We were almost in social civil war. Almost all social classes were in protest, young people saw no future in Portugal, and pensioners with lower pensions were dissatisfied. This was the state of affairs in Portugal a year ago, and Luís Montenegro formed a government to change the country’s direction,” he stated.
With the current prime minister, according to the mayor, teachers “returned to classrooms,” security forces were pacified, and young people experienced increased income due to the IRS reduction, among other changes.
“Luís [Montenegro] demonstrated that a new form of governance in Portugal is possible. He has been the victim of heinous attacks but has always shown grit and energy,” he added.
