The President of the Assembly of the Republic emphasized today that parliamentary inquiry commissions are a service provided by members of parliament and not a spectacle, aiming to oversee from a political perspective rather than substitute the judiciary.
These remarks were made by José Pedro Aguiar-Branco during the inauguration meeting of the parliamentary inquiry commission to investigate the political and management responsibilities of the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) in recent years. The inquiry was proposed by the Liberal Initiative (IL) and will be chaired by Chega deputy Marta Martins da Silva.
In his brief speech, the President of the Assembly of the Republic noted that this inquiry commission focuses on the operation of INEM, “an absolutely central entity” in the medical emergency response.
“Inquiry commissions are not meant to fuel controversies or replace the courts. Therefore, the public’s clear perception and understanding of what an inquiry commission is also our responsibility, the parliament and all its members who make up this inquiry commission,” he warned.
José Pedro Aguiar-Branco further stated that, through the inquiry commission, “it is important to ascertain facts and clarify the nation.”
“If we do this rigorously, it surely strengthens people’s trust in institutions. It is a service, not a spectacle – and we are all fully aware of the significance this holds for the Portuguese people,” he added.
In this context, the President of the Assembly pointed out that within inquiry commissions, there is “a very clear duty to work with seriousness and to ascertain everything that needs to be ascertained with rigor.”
“There is also an added responsibility to set an example, the example that politics can truly serve the public interest above party interests. The example that the parliament knows how to scrutinize without destroying, knows how to correct without discrediting, and knows how to investigate without dramatizing,” he stressed.
José Pedro Aguiar-Branco also noted that INEM “plays a central role in the state’s ability to respond to very critical moments” in the health domain.
“It is also central to the public’s trust in public institutions, and for this reason – and it is not a small reason – it deserves serious, firm, and responsible work. I believe that this is what the Portuguese expect from us. I have confidence that all members of parliament also want this and will certainly be committed to make it happen,” he concluded.
On July 11, IL’s request for the establishment of this parliamentary inquiry commission was approved with votes in favor from Chega, IL, Livre, PCP, BE, PAN, and JPP, with abstentions from PSD, PS, and CDS-PP.
The commission will consist of 24 members: eight from PSD, five from Chega, another five from PS, two from IL, two from Livre, one from PCP, and one from CDS-PP.
With the commissioning of the inquiry, deputies now have 90 days to investigate the political, technical, contractual, legal, and financial responsibilities relating to INEM, including during the strike in late October and early November 2024.
The deputies will also “analyze in detail the management decisions made in the preparation and during the period of the strike, paying special attention to their respective adequacy and impact on service operation” and “examine the political responsibility of various stakeholders in the strike, including the role of different entities in defining and fulfilling minimum services.”
The inquiry commission will further “assess the relationship of the different political overseers with INEM and clarify the intervention” of all governments since 2019 in “their respective political and financial management.”
