The parliamentary leader of the PCP accused the government of “lack of political will” to solve the country’s problems, in areas such as health care, wages or housing, and gave an “extremely negative” assessment of the first months of government.
“There are a number of problems, they arise every day, that affect the lives of workers and our people, and we do not see any intention, any political will from the PSD and SDS governments to respond to them,” he accused Paulo Santos, speaking to Lusa as part of the State of the Nation debate scheduled for Wednesday in parliament.
From the Communist Party’s perspective, what is at stake is “low wages and low pensions” and the need to “assess the purchasing power of both workers and pensioners.”
“I am talking about high prices for essential goods and services and the fact that neither one nor the other, there is no political will on the part of the Government to intervene, in fact, in this issue. The Government itself refuses such intervention,” he defended himself.
Regarding public services, the PCP parliamentary leader warned of a “set of shortcomings and needs” in areas such as health care, housing and education.
“Therefore, from the government’s side, the assessment that we give to its political options is extremely negative, because these answers, which are urgent, which are necessary, which are possible, that there are conditions for this, the government does not accept. In fact, your options are aimed at making them even worse,” he criticized.
For the Communist parliamentary group, the minority government of PSD/SDS-PP “contributes every day to the benefit of large companies and economic groups” and is “a great contributor to the reduction of the IRC of large companies” or “the expansion of tax incentives” – measures that, according to Paula Santos, will only increase “injustice and inequality”.
The fight against inequality will be one of the PCP’s priorities in September, after the parliamentary recess, along with raising wages, pensions, strengthening public services and investing in health, housing and education.
“But it is also necessary to promote national production, increase public investment, support micro, small and medium-sized companies, because this will also allow us to develop and grow. We have great potential, we need it. The fact is that there are policy options that allow such a development,” he said.
A state of the nation debate is scheduled for Wednesday, the first since the SDP/CDU-PP minority leader took office, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and the rest of the government taking part.