The PS leadership is intensifying pressure on the Government, criticizing both the support announced by Luís Montenegro and the recent closure of hospital emergency rooms. Socialist leaders are using these issues to bolster their arguments.
Meanwhile, Luís Montenegro has assured that the Government is pedaling responsibly and denied that measures like the upcoming October supplement for lower-income pensioners have any electoral motivations.
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Recently Pedro Nuno Santos, the PS Secretary-General, suggested that the PSD should implement a permanent pension increase for structural support. He accused the Government of Failing the National Health Service.
Criticisms and Clarifications
In response, Luís Montenegro commented on his Executive’s approach this Saturday, saying:
We address the people, we govern for the well-being of the Portuguese and each person makes the comment they think is most appropriate.
The social-democratic leader was at the Portugal Bike Tour 2024, which took place next to the Belém Cultural Center, in Lisbon. He took full advantage of giving the starting signal and said:
We are cycling on several fronts, but we are cycling responsibly, so as not to hit any walls, so as not to fall off the bike, so as not to slip, and we will always do this based on criteria of responsibility and budgetary balance.
Hours earlier, after Paulo Rangel’s statements, Pedro Nuno Santos accused the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of intellectual dishonesty. He clarified that he is not opposed to the supplement that Luís Montenegro announced on Wednesday.
The party leader took to the social media platform X and said:
The PS did not speak out against the measure. It merely said that, if the Government wanted to structurally support pensioners, it would have made a permanent increase in pensions, that is, an increase that would increase the value of pensions in the future.
He also accused the Democratic Alliance of opportunism, claiming they are using the good public accounts left by the previous Government to pursue a strategy aimed at short-term electoral gains. Furthermore, he also reiterated that the PSD, rather than genuinely supporting the public pension system, is merely deceiving pensioners with the illusion of an increase.
An argument that had already led Rangel to describe the supplement paid in October to 2.4 million pensioners as fundamental support. He also pointed out that any potential election turnout depends on Pedro Nuno Santos. He said:
As far as I know, there is no prospect of elections. There will only be elections if the PS secretary general wants them to be held.
Similarly, although Luís Montenegro insists that he does not govern with opposition parties in mind, he still responded to former minister António Costa yesterday, saying:
We do not have a stance of punishing the people with taxes, contributions and the postponement of public investments, to then present beautiful financial results.
