Montenegro says location will be “one of the first decisions” of the PSD government

The PSD president announced on Tuesday that the location of Lisbon’s new airport would be “one of the first decisions” of a possible Social Democratic government and announced the creation of an internal “working group” to analyze the issue.

“If I become Prime Minister from March, as I hope, with the confidence of the Portuguese, it will be one of the first decisions we make, choosing the location of the new airport and starting all the procedures for its implementation. Naturally, with the desire that the main opposition party, which I expect will be the PS, can also cooperate with us,” defended Luis Montenegro in statements to journalists after a meeting with the president of the Order of Doctors in Lisbon.

The leader of the Social Democrats, which must be decided by the next government after the legislative elections on March 10, announced that the SDP will create “today” an internal working group to monitor this “and other infrastructure projects” and whose goal is “dialogue with the government” and with opposition parties, in particular with the PS.

“To be able to immediately form a new government and a new Assembly of the Republic, to develop, implement and realize the goals of creating infrastructure, the ability to serve society and the Portuguese economy, and the new Airport is one of these elements,” he added.

Montenegro also said the report prepared by an independent technical committee, which identified Alcocete and Vendas Novas as two viable options for a new airport along with Humberto Delgado until a transition to a single infrastructure is possible, “must carry weight.” ” in a future decision.

“But it would be a disservice to the country if there was now speculation about what the best decision should be made based on this report. We will have the opportunity to evaluate, delve into, and ultimately even obtain further clarification on the technical content of the report. report,” he stressed.

According to the SDP leader, the topic of the location of the new airport “should not be a topic of the election campaign.”

“It is important for political parties to be able to express the will to make a decision, the decision must be taken by the next government and must be made, as far as possible, within the broadest possible multi-party consensus, in particular with the two main parties of our party spectrum, but certainly open for everyone else,” he emphasized.

Regarding the conclusions of the technical committee’s work, Montenegro emphasized that “the political force does not need to accept anything”, but rather analyze the technical assessment in order to make a political decision.

Accusing the government and the PS of “clear and blatant incompetence,” Montenegro recalled that “if it had not been for the intervention of the PSD and its president a year or so ago” in determining the methodology together with the executive branch for the new location, there would be no independent technical assessment today.

“I want to make it clear to the Portuguese: today the country will be able to locate the new airport because the PSD intervened. And I am very glad that I will be able to do this on the first day of my mandate, if possible. “to make this decision. I repeat: it is desirable that it be based on political consensus; if this does not happen, the next government will have the legitimacy to make the decision,” he insisted.