The leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Luís Montenegro, addressed the electoral promises of the Socialist Party (PS) and drew a parallel between its secretary-general, Pedro Nuno Santos, and former Prime Minister José Sócrates, accusing Santos of “promising everything to everyone.”
Speaking during the presentation of Póvoa de Lanhoso’s mayoral candidate, Fátima Alves, Luís Montenegro further accused Pedro Nuno Santos of making “false promises.”
“Today, our candidate mentioned [in her speech] that she was not there to make false promises, that she wasn’t here to promise what she couldn’t deliver. It’s interesting because at the same time Fátima [Alves] was speaking, someone, elsewhere, was presenting the electoral program for the legislative elections on May 18, promising everything to everyone, much like a former prime minister, known as José Sócrates,” Montenegro remarked, referring to the presentation of the electoral program ‘A new impetus for Portugal.’
Montenegro argued that the socialist leader was “promising everything to everyone as if it was feasible or responsible, to suddenly promise everything to everyone, without realizing this is the first step towards impoverishment, leading us to face more difficulties in the future than those we currently have.”
He emphasized the importance of wealth creation in the country, stating that without it, distribution is impossible.
“If wealth is not created, it cannot be distributed. If everything is reduced to distribution, as the Socialist Party is currently doing in Lisbon, distributing what it does not want, it will run out. And when it runs out, they look around and find a lack of funds. Then it falls on the PSD and CDS to fix the situation, which is usually what happens,” stated the PSD president.
In the presented today in Lisbon, the PS proposes, notably, an annual increase of the national minimum wage by at least 60 euros per year to reach 1,110 euros by 2029, along with a phased reduction of the workweek to 37.5 hours.
The PS also suggests in its electoral program a permanent Zero VAT on a basket of food goods, similarly to what was temporarily applied by António Costa’s government due to inflation, and to lower this tax to 6% for electricity up to 6.9 kVA.
The party also argues for the necessity to “reduce taxes based on an intelligent, selective fiscal policy that promotes a more balanced income distribution and stimulates investment.”
[News updated at 18:50]
