Montenegro promises measures against corruption and further increase in pensions below the minimum wage

The PSD president promised this Saturday to continue the project to regulate the “lobby” and try to once again criminalize illicit enrichment, further reduce pensions and put to a vote the issue of compensation for teachers’ working hours.

This Saturday, Luis Montenegro took part in the dinner organized by the PSD-Lisbon on the occasion of the second anniversary of the governance of the city by the Novos Tempos coalition led by Carlos Moedas, shortly after the statement made to the country by Prime Minister António Costa, who asked for his resignation from office on Tuesday, about which he did not directly say.

In his speech, the PSD leader confirmed that the party will put to a vote its proposal for the full restoration of lost time in teachers’ careers, and left a challenge to the candidates for the post of PSD leader – currently MP Pedro Nuno Santos, who has already spoken. for complete restoration, and Minister José Luis Carneiro.

“We will include in the budget our proposal for full compensation of teachers’ length of service. Let’s see if what is coming here is true,” he said, noting that this would be a “witness test.”

In the area of ​​fighting corruption and “demanding transparency in public life”, Montenegro stressed that the proposals he announced this Saturday are not “a reaction to what is happening”, hinting at the suspicions raised by the Prosecutor’s Office against several government officials and members of executive bodies .

The PSD leader stressed that the PSD leadership has been thinking about the need to regulate lobbying in Portugal for “a long time,” promising that it will move forward with both the draft and a new attempt to criminalize lobbying. illicit enrichment stopped in the past by the Constitutional Court.

Regarding the current political situation, Montenegro believes that “there are very deep reasons for disappointment and disbelief” and that the events of the last week “give no one any reason to be proud.”

“By ruling the people with arrogance, with arrogance, by using and abusing power, by taking over the administration, by not respecting opponents and not respecting audit reports, these governments always end up badly,” he said.

However, Montenegro has vowed to campaign “in a positive manner” and has called for early legislative elections on March 10.

“We are mainly focused on the future, not on justifying the past – there are others who have this responsibility. In recent years, we will not stop pointing out strategic mistakes, but we want to point out light and hope.” , He said.

In a speech lasting less than half an hour, Montenegro left another election pledge aimed at pensioners, once again accusing the PS of preparing to cut €1 billion from pensioners last year but backing down under pressure from the PSD.

“I warn you now: there is no point in coming with ghosts. With us, we are going to update pensions in line with the law and achieve an extraordinary recovery for those with a pension below the national minimum wage. This one should recover more than others,” he said.

Portugal will hold early legislative elections on March 10, 2024, scheduled by the President of the Republic, following the resignation of the Prime Minister on Tuesday.

António Costa became the subject of an investigation by the State Ministry in the Supreme Court after suspects in a case related to a business related to lithium, green hydrogen and a data center in Sines named him as having interfered with unlocking procedures.