Pedro Nuno Santos says the invention was “stable” and “worked well.”

The newly elected secretary general of the Social Democratic Party, Pedro Nuno Santos, considered this Sunday that the government’s decision with the leftist parties “was not some kind of contraption, it was very stable and worked well”, without committing to reissue it.

Pedro Nuno Santos spoke at the PS national headquarters in Lisbon after midnight, answering questions from the media following his victory speech.

When asked by journalists about the so-called “heringons,” he replied: “I never spoke about any invention, moreover, I never used this term many times, because there was nothing about this invention. It was really stable and worked well.” It was solid.”

“In any case, I said and repeat that we will work for a great victory, we want to mobilize the Portuguese people for a great victory. And our speech, our program is the PS Election Program,” added Pedro Nuno Santos.

The newly elected Socialist secretary general, who won direct elections on Friday and Saturday with 62% of the vote, stressed that it is through the PS program that he wants to “reach the majority of the Portuguese people” in the early stages of legislative activity. elections on March 10.

“This is our goal: to try to get an overwhelming majority to achieve stability, so that the decision of the government that we lead will be stable. This stability depends on a strong PS and that is what we will try to achieve throughout this campaign together with the Portuguese,” he reinforced.

Earlier, when asked about the government’s future arrangements, Pedro Nuno Santos did not commit to any decision and said he was ready to “work and fight to achieve a great result,” adding: “And then, depending on the configuration of the parliament , we will soon try to find a solution from the government.”

“But let no one forget that we will work on what best guarantees the electoral program of the PS,” he emphasized.

When asked whether he would lead a more left-wing PS, the new secretary general disagreed: “I don’t think so.”

“We want to give new impetus, new energy so that we can continue with the project – and forgive me for using this term, which is confusing in Portugal – of the social democratic project that the PS has for the country. “We are the only political platform that reconciles social progress with economic progress. For us they are not opposites, they are built together and that is what we want to continue to do,” he said.

Pedro Nuno Santos argued that the left-right divide is important for those “in the bubble, politicians, journalists, commentators” but that “that’s not how the Portuguese look at politics, the Portuguese look at politics looking for answers.” to your problems.”

As throughout the internal campaign for direct elections to the PS, in which he contested José Luis Carneiro and Daniel Adrián, the new secretary general rejected the “supposed division in the country and in the PS between radicals and moderates”, countering that “At its best, the country divided into those who have convictions and those who do not.”

“I have convictions,” he said, receiving applause. “I have often said at rallies that I am neither radical nor moderate, I am a socialist,” he added.

Throughout his speech, which lasted about 25 minutes, the new Socialist general secretary declared himself a defender of the welfare state and never once referred to the SDP, which he referred to several times as “them”.

“Our strategy is different from theirs,” he said.