During the initial questioning phase on the program of the XXV Constitutional Government, Paulo Raimundo, the leader of the only party that has so far submitted a motion to reject the document, delivered strong critiques of Luís Montenegro and his policies.
“The election results do not erase your wrong personal conduct nor legitimize the policy against the interests and rights of the workers, the people, and the youth. Do you still think the country can be better, even if the majority’s life is worse?” he questioned.
Raimundo accused the government of “forcing thousands into emigration,” maintaining a “policy of low wages,” intending to “attack the right to strike,” “dismantling the National Health Service,” “plundering social security,” or diverting resources to “the madness of war,” among other criticisms.
“Each problem, a business, this is your true state reform,” he accused.
The PCP’s general secretary lamented that the motion to reject, so far only supported by BE, would be defeated, predicting that Chega, IL, and PS would continue to “lean on each other” to defend an unjust policy.
“Your program reeks of ‘troika,’ which our people have already rejected and defeated. The workers, the people, and the youth rely, as always, on the PCP for the defense of their rights,” Raimundo added.
In response, the prime minister argued that this accusation had “no backing in reality,” and returned the criticism.
“Your speech reeks of old immobilist communism, which has led no country anywhere but to poverty,” he stated.
Montenegro even lamented his prediction that the PCP “with this stubbornness will eventually, unfortunately, condemn itself to disappearance,” which he said he considered undesirable in the Portuguese political system.
In contrast to Paulo Raimundo’s critiques regarding low incomes, the prime minister pointed out that “there has been an increase in net income in Portugal, which was the largest in the OECD.”
“It becomes difficult for your speech to resonate with people because it is so, so hostile to reality that no one believes it,” he added, also rejecting accusations in the areas of health, education, social security, or defense.
