Social Democratic Party Secretary General Pedro Nuno Santos said on Tuesday the country needs a “wage shock” as opposed to the “fiscal shock” proposed by the PSD, stressing that the Social Democrats are “infected” with liberalism and populism. .
“The budget shock takes pressure off companies. We need companies to understand and feel the necessary pressure to continue to innovate and modernize,” he said, and then emphasized: “The wage shock also serves this function. So this was very important to us. increase the minimum wage from 505 euros in 2015 to 820 euros in 2024.”
Pedro Nuno Santos spoke at a rally in Machico, on the island of Madeira, where he explained that the PS advocates a “productivity shock” and therefore a “wage shock” at the level of the minimum wage, the average wage and public administration. .
“We must vote for the PS so that the PS wins, because on the other side we will have an SDP infected with the liberal radicalism of the Liberal Initiative and the populist radicalism of Chegi,” he declared, and then added: “We want a government free of populism. we want a country free of radical liberalism, we want a country of economic and social progress that respects everyone.”
On the other hand, the Socialist leader criticized PSD President Luis Montenegro for not traveling to Madeira during the campaign for the early legislative elections on March 10.
“My main opponent came here last September to try to get an absolute majority of the votes. [nas eleições regionais]which never happened, but now that everything [não] Everything went well, they don’t even see him, he doesn’t even want to appear here,” he said, referring to the political crisis in the region that arose as a result of the process to investigate suspicions of corruption and led to the resignation of the president of the regional government, Miguel Albuquerque, and fall of the head of PSD/CDS-PP.
“But the problem is not the PSD/Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, [o problema] it is a duty to be on the side of the Madeirans and Porto Santens,” emphasized Pedro Nuno Santos, emphasizing that, on the contrary, the IPS comes to the region at every electoral event because it respects the Madeirans and Porto Santens. Santens.
“For us, Portugal only makes sense if we treat all regions as first-class regions. The Autonomous Region of Madeira is a first-class region,” he said, recalling that he had already been to the island three times since December. 2023.
“Respect for the people, respect for the Madeirans and Porto Santos, that’s why we don’t treat Madeira any differently than any region of the country, any area of the country, that’s all that was missing,” he stated, then confirmed: “In The country has 18 districts and two autonomous regions, and we will be present in all districts throughout this campaign, because Portugal is a whole country for us.”
Pedro Nuno Santos said the PS “always takes regional autonomy seriously,” which he called one of the greatest achievements on April 25, and has proposals to strengthen it, for example through the Regional Finance Law, a revision of the law. on the management of the sea, the promotion of the work of the new hospital and the abolition of the office of the representative of the republic.
“The Autonomous Region of Madeira needs political and economic change,” he said in a speech that lasted about half an hour and expressed his pride in the last eight years of PS rule.
The rally in Machico was attended by PS/Madeira leader Paulo Cafofo, head of the autonomous region’s constituency list for the March 10 legislative elections, who also criticized the PSD president.
“Luis Montenegro does not come to Madeira because he is ashamed, he is ashamed that he is still the leader of his party at the regional level,” he said, stressing that “Miguel Albuquerque has lost the authority and trust of the Madeirans, but he has also I have lost the authority and trust of my party.”
Kafofo said the outgoing regional government chairman, who has already indicated his readiness to run again in the event of early elections, continues to “cling to power” to maintain immunity from justice in a process in which he was named as a defendant.
“We know that the PDP/PSD has reached the bottom, but the PS/Madeira will not allow this PDP, which has reached the bottom, to bring Madeira to the bottom, because we will defend this region,” he said, stressing that the Socialists intend to “bring back decency politics” on the archipelago.