Mariana Mortagua believes that the choice of ministers makes us “expect the worst”

The BE coordinator said this Monday that “one can expect only the worst from this government, even from elected ministers,” highlighting that holders of the labor, health and education portfolios have already spoken out for wage cuts and privatization.

At a press conference at BE’s national headquarters in Lisbon, Mariana Mortagua expressed “huge concern” about the future, saying that the Democratic Alliance’s (AD) electoral platform “has no idea how to solve the housing crisis in the SNA” or that ” how to increase wages and fight instability.”

“And when we look at the chief ministers of the central portfolios of the problems that we have to solve, these fears only intensify,” he added, starting with criticism of the new Health Minister Ana Paula Martins.

According to Mariana Mortagua, the new governor, when she was chairman of the board of directors of the Santa Maria Hospital, was “responsible for the closure” of its obstetric service, claiming that “work that at that time was not even going to be carried out in this building” that ” ended with the dismissal of part of the team” from this service.

“She is a health minister who champions the privatization of access to health care, who is not ashamed to say so, who believes access to health care should be privatized, shared with private companies, and who heads the National Department of Health. Health Service (SNS),” he criticized.

Regarding the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Mariana Mortagua noted that the new Minister Fernando Alexandre “does not, as far as we know, have any position on education issues” and his path is “very far” from the sector. now he is in charge.

The bloc leader stressed that this is one of the “most important portfolios”, given that there are “such serious problems” in teachers’ careers, especially in terms of salaries and the ability to attract, and reinstated the new minister’s alleged statements. during the Troika period.

“He advocated for a permanent reduction of the 14th month for all civil servants, not temporarily but permanently, and also for a permanent reduction in monthly pensions above €1,500, because at the time he understood that this was a good way for people to get back on their feet. wet on the ground and realize that in the future reforms will be lower,” he emphasized.

Mariana Mortagua also criticized the new Minister of Labor Maria do Rosario Palma Ramalho, accusing her that her resume “attacks all the achievements made in labor legislation and in defense of labor deregulation.”

“So in the three central areas – health, education, labor – we have three ministers who support deregulation, who have supported cuts in wages, pensions in the past, who support the privatization of basic public services.” criticized, adding that “only the worst can be expected from this government.”

Despite this, the BE leader believed that there were a number of issues on which the government should move forward now, such as restoring seniority for teachers, equalizing risk pay for security forces, the status of justice officers or reducing VAT on electricity.

Mariana Mortagua stressed that these are all issues that were campaign promises and on which there is agreement among most parties, but she refused to say whether her party would make the budget amendments viable for this purpose, noting that she would not comment without knowing the document .

When asked if she expected Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to explain the terms of his government in his inauguration speech, Mariana Mortagua considered it “important” for the President of the Republic to do so, recalling that it was his practice.

“It was important to understand what conditions the president of the republic sets for this government, which, as we know, rules in a situation of permanent instability,” he emphasized.