PS President quotes praise from conservatives, but points to political dyslexia in Montenegro

The PS chairman said that the 2024 budget deserves praise even in conservative circles, pointed out the political dyslexia of the PSD leader when he spoke of a “pipi budget”, and called for a culture of mending paths among socialists.

These positions were stated by Carlos Cesar at a press conference at the end of the meeting of the National Political Commission of the PS, the central topic of which was the government’s draft public budget for 2024.

“As a number of observers have already admitted, including the leader of the PPD [Luís Montenegro], this is a well presented budget. So we really don’t need to defend what we represent when those who should oppose it recognize its validity,” he said.

Carlos Cesar, however, separated himself from Luis Montenegro when he said the country was facing a “pipi” budget.

According to the PS President, the budget presented by the government is characterized by “balance, with higher salaries, lower taxes, special attention to housing and youth, but without calling the future into question.”

“This is a very virtuous government budget. Obviously, I do not share the opinion of the NDP leader when, in the peculiar tone in which he expressed himself, with a certain political dyslexia, he realized that this budget should be classified as a pipi. No “This is not a pipi budget, but a budget that is built safely and responsibly moves towards restoring incomes and the Portuguese economy, instilling confidence in the future,” he countered.

In his first speech, Carlos Cesar referred to the praise of conservative political commentators for the budget proposal, said that the document was cautious “with respect to possible exceptional situations” arising from the international situation, and noted that the PS was “attentive to protests.” .

“The PS must be increasingly attentive to the shortcomings, failures that are inevitable in the exercise of government functions and, above all, it must be increasingly capable of learning from this, adjusting when necessary, and correcting paths when absolutely necessary. This is PS Culture needs to be encouraged and counteracted by the idea that we are always on the right track,” he stressed.

From the PS president’s point of view, it is in this sense that trust is “restored”, hinting at the polls, and he expressed confidence that the Socialists will win the European and regional elections in the Azores.

Regarding the latest polls on voting intentions in legislative elections, he even noted that the PS is no longer in decline, but that “the loss of confidence among voters is now affecting the NDP.”

Asked about the developing health crisis, Carlos Cesar, like Prime Minister António Costa, also supported the idea that the problem is not the financing of the National Health Service, but the organization, that is, the quality of management.

The PS President acknowledged dysfunction in a number of government sectors, especially health and education, and advocated that the response should not be drastic, but rather realistic.

At the National Political Commission of the PS, the most critical voice was Minority Leader Daniel Adrian, who once again criticized the “lack of internal democracy in the PS” and expressed regret that the last meeting of this body took place 11 months ago.

“Meetings of national bodies of the PS should not be held when the Secretary General considers it convenient. They must be carried out in accordance with the frequency established in the charter of the PS. This is a problem with an electoral system that gives excessive power to supporters of leaders,” he accused.