During a campaign visit to the Livramento Market in Setúbal, Luís Montenegro encountered both support and grievances from attendees, particularly pensioners and former combatants expressing concerns over low pensions and cuts implemented during Pedro Passos Coelho’s leadership under the “troika”.
“I understand that a few years ago, due to the country’s financial situation, there was some unrest in this area, and people need a word of reassurance. Today, I can confidently say to people to believe in us because we are not merely making promises; we are fulfilling what we say,” he stated, repeating a message he has emphasized in recent days.
When asked if the message was reaching the public, Montenegro argued that his focus on the issue indicates that the AD is “very connected” to the real problems faced by people.
Regarding the question of whether these insecurities are still linked directly to Passos Coelho—who appeared alongside Montenegro at a lunch for former leaders earlier this week—the PSD president conceded that it was during those “difficult moments that people were asked to contribute.”
“But today, we are at a stage where people already understand that our word holds great value, we fulfill our commitments, and we are indeed trustworthy,” he asserted.
Montenegro emphasized the support he received at the market, a traditionally challenging area for both the AD and the PSD.
“The journalists will assess this with their own journalistic criteria, but the support is visible, there is genuine enthusiasm and, above all, an understanding of what we are doing. Does that mean they have no concerns? Of course not! They have concerns, and we also want to be the spokespersons for these concerns,” he remarked, before continuing his visit.
Upon entering the market, he was approached by an elderly woman who admitted to being a PS supporter but expressed her admiration for the PSD leader, wishing him success while posing a critical question.
“I was a public servant, worked for 52 years, and my pension is 680 euros; do you think that’s fair?” she inquired, to which the prime minister responded that he would need to look into the specific case.
Further along, another pensioner and a former combatant echoed similar complaints.
“My pension is 350 euros; I would like to see the prime minister,” said one woman, whom Montenegro advised to apply for the solidarity supplement for the elderly, noting the current government has increased its threshold twice.
A former combatant in Guinea accused the PSD/CDS-PP government under Passos Coelho of cutting “280 euros from his pension, never to be recovered,” with Montenegro expressing gratitude for his service and highlighting that the current administration is increasing support for medications for these veterans to reach 100% coverage.
In the market, Montenegro received various words of encouragement from vendors, including a warm embrace from Mrs. Hermínia, who has been selling fish there for 57 years.
“Only he can straighten out the country,” she declared, when asked by journalists what she whispered to the prime minister.
At another stall, he was invited to toast with muscatel, which he did alongside CDS-PP leader Nuno Melo and Setúbal’s head of the list, Teresa Morais.
By the end, he was not allowed to pay for his purchases, prompting a remark from the prime minister: “Tell me, you know they’ll ask me about it later,” he joked.
In the 2024 legislative elections, the AD elected four out of the 19 deputies from this constituency, trailing PS (with seven deputies) and tying with Chega (also four deputies).
[Updated at 1:11 PM]
