Montenegro accuses PS of anger “at part of the nation” and warns PSD and CDS that they will not “invade” the state

This Friday, the leader of the PSD accused the PS of being “angry at part of the Portuguese nation” and warned parties belonging to the Democratic Alliance not to count on “an invasion of public administration.”

At the Women’s Day luncheon in Estufa Fria in Lisbon, attended by former PSD leader Manuela Ferreira Leite and former President of the Republic Cavaco Silva, Luis Montenegro wanted to point out, on the last day of the campaign, the differences between the candidacies of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition and the candidacy of the PS.

“Whenever the PS speaks, it speaks with anger against a part of the Portuguese nation, it speaks with the aim of attacking a part of the Portuguese nation,” he accused, addressing those who did not dare to evaluate the candidacies, projects and leadership of the two political parties. strength.

Montenegro said he was impressed by his main political opponent Pedro Nuno Santos’ speech on women on Friday, saying the PS was responsible for progress in this area.

“We have at least the same intention, and if we are realistic, we will achieve much better results for women’s lives with SDP/SDS-PP governments than with PS governments,” he countered.

As for Montenegro, “some want to further divide the country,” while AD wants to unite, which involves bringing together people from different economic backgrounds, generations and even sectors of activity.

As for the state, the SDP leader repeated the charge that the PS had “abandoned the state as a party and the entire party within the state,” promising to do otherwise.

“And I want to say to the parties that make up this coalition: do not expect an invasion of the Portuguese public administration, because this is not our concept,” he warned, assuring that he has faith in Portuguese civil servants.

“They are poorly managed, but we are here to change that,” he added.

Speaking as if he were already prime minister, Montenegro assured that he would govern not “for the sake of the newspaper headline and the opening of the news program,” but “by looking at public services and saying that tax money needs to be well managed.”

“And to be well governed means organizing public services so that they serve the citizen and not the government party, that is enough,” he said, also promising to “value all careers” in the sector.

“The impoverishment of the state is half the way to stopping the growth of the country,” he said.

On the final day of the campaign, the AD leader said he wanted to return to the coalition’s original messages: unite and believe.

“Come on, it’s worth it, we’ll be a country again for everyone, for everyone, for everyone,” he said, in an apparent reference to a phrase Pope Francis said when he was in Lisbon for World Youth Day.

Between the soup and the main course, Luis Montenegro went to meet different tables where there were only women (only the table of honor and those serving the media were men), and took photographs with many, like the leader of the SDS-PP. , Nuno Melo and Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas.

Before the performance, the microphone was asked to “give a big round of applause to Carla Montenegro, the woman next to Luis Montenegro, an invincible duo that also underlines this legacy of family values ​​for Portugal.”

In his speech, he said that throughout the campaign he felt the strength of women, the strength of Portuguese families,” and paid a special compliment to Maria Cavaca Silva.

“She may not know, but I want her to have no doubt from now on that we really like you,” he said in a reference that brought the room to its feet.

At the table of honor were present prominent Social Democrats such as Assunsan Estevez, Leonor Beleza, Isabel Mota, Teresa Patricio Gouveia, as well as Christian Democrats such as Cecilia Meireles, Isabel Galriza Neto or Ana Rita Nessa.

“The women who accompanied us through particularly difficult moments inspired us and sometimes even pushed us to be better,” he said.