The first question posed during the televised face-off between the leaders of Portugal’s two largest parties was aired simultaneously by RTP, SIC, and TVI from the Carcavelos Campus of Nova University Lisbon.
The Prime Minister and leader of the AD coalition, composed of PSD/CDS-PP, for the upcoming elections on May 18, stated that on Monday, his government coordinated technical operations to sever the connection with Spain, which was responsible for the electricity supply cut, and worked to restore power to the Portuguese people as swiftly as possible.
He maintained that the government promptly communicated after the blackout through the Minister of the Presidency, and the Council of Ministers convened for 12 hours, with his own address to the nation occurring around 3 PM. Simultaneously, according to Luís Montenegro, there was a significant effort to maintain critical infrastructure by activating contingency and emergency plans.
“This was so effective that we recorded zero deaths as a direct result of the power outage, unlike what happened in Spain,” he stated.
“The government acted with strength and efficiency,” he claimed.
This stance was met with disagreement from the Secretary-General of the PS, who accused the government of failing in communication and coordination during the hours the country was without electricity.
“It left the mayors to fend for themselves,” he countered.
Pedro Nuno Santos argued that it was crucial for the Prime Minister to convene the Internal Security System immediately after the blackout. This system includes entities such as Civil Protection, security forces, the PJ, and the Armed Forces, along with government members.
“The government failed in its mission,” he accused, with Luís Montenegro responding that the socialist leader “has no authority” to make such claims, citing the behavior of Pedro Nuno Santos as a minister and accusing him of “lack of composure and integration” within António Costa’s administration.
Pedro Nuno Santos replied by recalling his actions as a minister during “the crisis of the dangerous goods drivers’ strike” as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic.
