In a press conference following an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers in Viseu, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro addressed questions about whether the government plans to declare a state of calamity, as has been demanded by some opposition parties, including the PS.
The Prime Minister highlighted that during the Council of Ministers meeting, the government approved a new “legislative instrument” that will be enacted in situations such as the ongoing wildfires in the country. This instrument will allow for the opening of a tender to support municipalities in the swift repair of infrastructure.
According to Luís Montenegro, the implementation of this law will be decided through a Council of Ministers resolution and will enable “much faster and more agile operationalization of assistance mechanisms that would be provided under a state of calamity.”
“In other words: there is no need to declare a state of calamity, because the useful effect intended is precisely what results from the law we just approved,” he argued.
