Following a visit to the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) in Lisbon, José Luís Carneiro expressed the Socialist Party’s willingness to support civil protection efforts through parliamentary measures, emphasizing the need for solutions stemming from “stable options.”
“For instance, if the government intends to withdraw from regional and sub-regional commands, the Socialist Party will oppose this move, as it represents a regression to the pre-2017 period, undermining the efforts made since 2017 to strengthen our Civil Protection system,” warned the former Minister of Internal Administration.
The Socialist Party leader indicated readiness to “review the funding law for humanitarian firefighter associations” and promote “reform of the National School of Firefighters to further enhance the human framework within the national Civil Protection system.”
Carneiro mentioned another goal of establishing a fund similar to the Environmental Fund, which would “be financed by various beneficiaries of a robust civil protection structure, aimed at funding infrastructure and equipment with a long-term and sustainable approach.”
“We are working to empower society and the state to be better prepared for situations like those experienced during the blackout, which highlighted the critical need for timely planning in these areas,” he added.
When asked if the socialists will propose these measures in parliament, José Luís Carneiro affirmed that these are actions “the Socialist Party is committed to.”
“The key in these matters is not about who raises the flag. What matters is whether we, as a national community, can build collective, enduring solutions despite different governments,” he responded to journalists’ inquiries about parliamentary proposals and their timeline.
According to the PS Secretary-General, Civil Protection issues “require thorough analysis” and “careful consideration of options,” which should be “timeless to yield results.”
“To prevent the issues emerging in other areas, I believe the problems rising now are due to a lack of consideration and consolidation of ongoing options,” he noted.
