On Monday, the PSD president said an internal working group to analyze the location of Lisbon’s new airport had already been formed and a decision would be made “in the early days” of a possible Social Democratic government.
“We in the PSD, although we understand that this is not an issue that can spoil the election campaign, do not want to waste time,” said Social Democratic leader Luis Montenegro.
Speaking to journalists in Beja, as part of his visit to Beja airport, the SDP president noted that the party already has “a team created to carry out a political assessment” of this “dossier”.
The goal is that “in the first days of our government we can make a decision and hope also to count on the PS in this work,” Montenegro added at the start of the “Sentir Portugal” program in the Beja district. , which will last until Wednesday.
When asked by Lusa about this internal working group and when the findings of the analysis will be known, Montenegro confirmed that the group has “already” been created.
“We will take advantage of all the time available to be able to quickly make a decision and present it when we take on the task of governing the country,” he said.
According to the PSD leader, Prime Minister António Costa, as well as PS leadership candidates Pedro Nuno Santos and José Luis Carneiro, “were involved in chaos after disorder” around the new Lisbon airport.
Now, he continued, “after so much incompetence, [seria] It’s good that Dr. Antonio Costa, Dr. Pedro Nuno Santos, Dr. Luis Carneiro were more restrained, more modest and admitted their incapacity.”
“And recognize now that if it were not for the contribution of the SDP, we would not be in a position today to practically have all the elements to make a decision,” he continued.
Asked what would happen next given the findings of the Independent Technical Commission (CTI), Montenegro said that after the March elections the decision would be up to a possible PSD government: “I will decide.”
“To make a decision, a strategic environmental assessment is necessary, and it has been done. It is now necessary to draw political conclusions from the technical conclusions that have been expressed,” he said, pointing out that the PSD is available in order to “be able to promote consensus” on the issue.
The CTI report “will be subject to public discussion” and “is not a sacred document that no one can question,” the PSD president warned, arguing that, on the contrary, “it is a document that can be changed.”
Asked about the TGV, the SDP leader said his party’s position is “very clear”.
“The government, through the voice of the prime minister, has said that it is in a position to announce the tender in January next year. The government is a government of management,” and we need to know “whether this award really needs to be done in January or can wait” until the new leader takes office, he said.
Montenegro said the PSD had not yet demonstrated “that Portugal could lose community funding that strengthens these investments.”
In this case, your party is ready “not to violate what protects the national interests,” but otherwise, “if funding is guaranteed, then within two months the country will not have a government in full force of its functions” to make a decision on this question.
According to the weekly Expresso, the working group announced by the PSD leader for the political assessment of the infrastructure dossier will be coordinated by Vice President Miguel Pinto Luz and will include former Finance Minister Maria Luis Albuquerque and former Secretaries of State Manuel Castro Almeida and José Eduardo. Martins, as well as PSD National Strategic Council members Carlos Lopez and Thiago Sousa d’Alte.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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