The ongoing controversy involves criticism from Pedro Nuno Santos and Chega leader André Ventura regarding the inclusion of Hernâni Dias, a former Secretary of State who resigned due to a scandal involving a real estate company, in the PSD’s legislative election lists.
“If Luís Montenegro is included, why shouldn’t Hernâni Dias be?” questioned the socialist leader.
In response, the social-democratic deputy expressed his “regret and strong disapproval of this behavior from the [leader] of the Socialist Party.”
He further commented, “I’d like to remind everyone that Pedro Nuno Santos’ attitude is very similar to what Chega has been doing for a long time. What’s new is that the Socialist Party didn’t usually adopt this type of approach, slinging mud at people’s names, which is what Pedro Nuno Santos has been doing,” Hugo Carneiro accused.
For the PSD official, “this can only be explained by one factor,” suggesting the PS is “completely lost.”
“I’d like to recall that neither Hernâni Dias nor Luís Montenegro are defendants, convicted, or are in any position that would question their ethics or their vulnerability,” he insisted.
Hugo Carneiro then reminded that “Pedro Nuno Santos left António Costa’s government after approving an indemnity of 500,000 euros via WhatsApp to Alexandra Reis, and at that time, he left due to the indecent nature of the situation and a poor image for the Socialist government.”
“When he was a candidate for Prime Minister a few months later, he said that he had left the government and therefore assumed that responsibility, and that did not prevent him from being a Prime Ministerial candidate for the Socialist Party,” he added.
In this context, Hugo Carneiro accused the socialist leader of having “double standards” and “demanding from others what he does not require of himself.”
