“When discussing the future direction that AD intends to take in Portugal with the Liberal Initiative, I invite you to look towards the bastion of neoliberalism in the United States of America, which, despite being the wealthiest country globally, trails behind Portugal in healthcare outcomes,” stated Pedro Nuno Santos during a rally in Porto. His remarks centered significantly on the National Health Service (SNS).
The leader of the Socialist Party (PS) and candidate for Prime Minister emphasized that the PS’s path “could not be more different.”
“There’s no need to reinvent the wheel; just observe those who’ve already traveled that path. What we’re doing, what Fernando Araújo is doing alongside Manuel Pizarro, is analyzing the SNS, addressing its deficiencies, and implementing necessary corrections. A reform was underway to save the SNS, which was halted by AD because their objective was clear,” he highlighted.
He further pointed out, “The clarity arises from their historical lack of support for the foundational SNS legislation in parliament and their continuing disbelief in the SNS.”
“Fernando Araújo reminded us about mothers. No socialist can be content or accept the challenges we’ve faced in recent months concerning obstetric emergency care. The trust of pregnant women in the SNS cannot falter and must be safeguarded because not all women can access private healthcare; they need a strong SNS,” emphasized Santos.
In his view, the “SNS never fails,” and when “a woman experiences complications during pregnancy or childbirth, only public hospitals provide unequivocal support.”
The secretary-general of the PS underscored that “healthcare is a right” at the rally, where he was joined by Fernando Araújo, the lead candidate for PS in Porto and the first executive director of the SNS.
“Public services have their problems and don’t always provide solutions. Instead of examining and fixing issues within the SNS, the right exploits existing problems — which we openly acknowledge — to divert public resources to the private sector,” he noted.
He added that the right is “not improving healthcare in Portugal but worsening SNS conditions, thereby empowering the private sector economically, allowing it to continue recruiting healthcare professionals from the SNS.”
“This strategy is not new. The day we have a weak SNS and are almost solely reliant on private health services, the private sector will dictate the terms of care and charge the state as it pleases,” warned Santos.
In a speech exceeding 30 minutes, which concluded the socialist rally at Super Bock Arena – Pavilhão Rosa Mota, Pedro Nuno Santos also addressed social security, pensions, and the PS’s commitment to lowering taxes, specifically on food baskets and energy. He highlighted PS’s investment in public transportation and railways.
“We aim to provide public transportation for all Portuguese. Meanwhile, we must ensure that those reliant on cars for commuting to work have manageable costs for traveling, working, and taking their children to school. Therefore, we will also reduce automobile taxes,” he announced.
According to Pedro Nuno Santos, the PS seeks to “lower the taxes everyone pays” and pursue “a policy that allows for continued wage increases in Portugal.”
“More than a tax shock, we need a wage shock in Portugal. The Portuguese people need to earn better wages,” he stressed.
