The secretary general of the Social Democratic Party, Pedro Nuno Santos, said this Friday that if his party loses the legislative elections or does not form a majority, it will lead the opposition, stressing that “it does not exist to support PSD governments.”
“If the PS wins the elections or manages to form a majority, it will rule. If the PS loses the elections and cannot form a majority, it will lead the opposition,” Pedro Nuno Santos said at the start of the debate that led to the row. against his pre-Livre representative Rui Tavares on RTP1.
The Socialist leader stressed that his position on the issue had “always been the same” and added that the “worst service” that could be done to democracy was for “the board with PS and PSD to be committed to the same thing same management, leaving the opposition, or the leadership of the opposition, for Chegu and the extreme right.”
“This won’t happen to us,” he said.
Pedro Nuno Santos reiterated that “it is almost impossible for the PS to support the PSD government.”
“And also because we have a different vision of society. The vision of society, the welfare state, the National Health Service (NHS) is at stake in this election and it is deeply alienating,” he said.
Pedro Nuno Santos said that “the people’s choice must be respected” and that “if the PS is not chosen to lead the government, the PS will respect the people’s decision and will be in opposition, leading the opposition.”
“This means fulfilling our mandate and the trusting relationship we want to build with voters. The PS does not exist to support SDP governments. However, we have no prospect that the PS will not win the elections,” he emphasized.
When asked what he expects from the SDP if the PS wins the elections but does not get a majority, the Socialist leader replied: “The PS, if it wins the elections, will look for a government solution to govern.”
“If we don’t succeed, we can’t govern, we won’t govern,” he said.
Regarding the statement of the PS/Açores that they will not vote for the government program of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition in the autonomous region, Pedro Nuno Santos believes that there is a situation of “double standards” between the “pressure” placed on the PS regarding the possible the feasibility of creating a minority government in the PSD as well.
Pedro Nuno Santos said that he does not remember that in 2020 “when the PS in the Azores won the elections, no one put pressure on the PSD/Azores to make the PS government viable,” stressing that at that time the PSD/Azores , “elected a government with the support of Chegi.”
“We would have a fantastic, extraordinary situation for the SDP: when the SDP loses the elections, it rules together with Chega. The SDP, when it wins elections, waits for the PS to support the government,” he said.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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