PM says governance changes will ‘continue’ but rejects ‘purge’

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said this Wednesday that changes in positions in the public administration “will continue”, but rejected the fact that the “purge” is being carried out using “party criteria”, which provoked “many dismissals” of the previous Socialist executive.

“The changes that have taken place will of course continue: but did I expect that someone would say otherwise?” Luis Montenegro said in response to parliamentary leader Livre during a two-week debate in parliament.

Following criticism from Livre deputy Isabel Méndez López, who recalled the recent resignations of Santa Casa da Misericordia Ombudsman Ana Jorge or the previous PSP national director José Barros Correia, the Prime Minister added that he would not carry out “any purge” in the state governance using party criteria, but “will make the necessary changes so that government policies can be well implemented and can have an impact on improving the quality of life of the Portuguese and the implementation of the government program.”

The executive leader joked that the government was averaging “one exit every 10 days”, saying: “See, we’re actually very low-key.”

Montenegro was then compared to the first government led by socialist António Costa.

“In 2016, when the PS came to power, António Costa and everyone who accompanied him in government, including Pedro Nuno Santos, there were 273 dismissals of leaders without competition or appointments within three months, at the beginning of the mandate. 28 appointments in 15 days. At both Social Security and the IRS, changes were made by the dozens. Even here I was listening to her and thinking about this character: in the face of mass layoffs, there are now four layoffs. Is it worth the same as hundreds?” he objected.

Montenegro noted that “after the change of government, many heads of public administration appeared who even took the initiative to provide this position”, which, according to him, the government in some cases did not accept, and emphasized that the transition period between heads “is not easily”.

Faced with laughter from Livre MP Rui Tavares, Montenegro said: “You laugh loudly because you have never had such responsibility. In the coming years you will not live like you, this is my conviction.”

At the start of her speech, Livra parliamentary leader Isabel Mendez Lopez accused the government of behaving “with all the arrogance of an absolute majority” without such parliamentary support, and called the executive branch “a government of many dismissals and few decisions.” “

Following the Prime Minister’s response, Livre MP Jorge Pinto turned to the topic of the new location of Lisbon Airport, asking the government questions about “analogues”, “the real cost of the airport” and the “timing” of construction.

“What guarantee can you give us that in 10 years we will not be discussing the construction of an airport again and will not go to the extreme of renaming Luis de Camões Airport to Santa Engracia Airport?” he joked.

At the end of Jorge Pinto’s speech, the President of the Assembly of the Republic left a comment.

A few minutes before Livre spoke, at another stage of the debate, President Chega refused any approach to the PS, looked at the benches and retorted: “Chega has become close to the Portuguese.”

The statement prompted José Pedro Aguiar-Branco to warn Ventura that “deputies are talking to other deputies, not to galleries” of the public.

Returning to this topic, having familiarized himself with the Standing Orders, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco recalled that Article 89 establishes that “the speakers address the President and the Assembly”, and noted that Jorge Pinto at the beginning of his speech addressed “fellow citizens in the galleries”, greet their.

Tavares defended his bench, saying that “it is true that deputies address the government, colleagues and the council” and that they do not ask direct questions of citizens in the galleries, but stressed that “nothing prevents them from welcoming them.”

“If you ever want to appeal my decision, file an appeal at the plenary session. For me, the Rules are clear,” replied the chairman of parliament.