Montenegro is “fully prepared” to meet with PS leader again

The chairman of the PSD confirmed this Wednesday his “full readiness” for further debate with the leader of the PS, who refused a second personal meeting on the radio, emphasizing that the choice “at the helm” in these legislative elections is that of the Prime Minister.

Luis Montenegro traveled this Wednesday on the ferry between Lisbon and Casillas with Teresa Morais, head of the Setúbal list of AD (the coalition uniting PSD, CDS-PP and PPM), and was questioned by journalists about Pedro Nuno Santos’s refusal to hold a personal meeting by radio , which will take place after the televised debate between them, scheduled for the 19th.

“As in the 2015 and 2019 legislative elections, the radio stations also invited the leaders of the two largest parties, PS and PSD, to meet each other. Luis Montenegro agreed, Pedro Nuno Santos refused the debate, so it will not take place.” This is stated in a statement sent by the editorial staff of Antena 1, Observador, Renascença and TSF, published on Tuesday evening, announcing that these radio stations will organize the last debate with all leaders with seats in Parliament on the 26th.

Montenegro responded that “instead of criticizing this position” of Pedro Nuno Santos, he chose to point to his own.

“I am fully prepared, I am here to tell people what I want to do as the leader of the government from an economic and social point of view, improving the living conditions of the people and implementing an ambitious growth project,” he said.

The SDP leader considered that “all possibilities are good” for such a confrontation of ideas, but admitted that “everyone has their own strategy,” saying that he did not want to interfere with the strategy of the PS.

“If there is a debate that interests citizens, without ignoring other candidates, but among all the decisions that the Portuguese take in the legislature, one comes to mind, namely the decision on who will become prime minister, and there are only two candidates: the leader AD and PS leader,” he said.

Asked whether a televised face-to-face meeting would be more decisive because it is the only one, Montenegro said that “interacting with people every day” is decisive, although debates are “a very instructive way to demonstrate very visible differences.” between two projects.”

During a trip to Casileiro, where Transtejo staff warned the delegation that it was impossible to communicate with passengers, it was only at the exit that some people approached Montenegro and greeted him.

Upon arrival in Casillas, the delegation stopped at a café and then headed to Setúbal, and it was the PSD president himself who went behind the counter for coffee after being challenged by a staff member.

When asked by reporters, he said that in his youth he worked in a cafe to accumulate savings, despite the fact that he was dissuaded by his father, who wanted to pay him the same amount so that he would not go behind the counter.

“I think I still remember, I didn’t do anything wrong,” he joked.

Montenegro took advantage of the trip to Setúbal County to remember that Autoeuropa, a major foreign investment project in Portugal located in this county, was designed and implemented in the 90s.

“We need to have a government that is committed to increasing the number of AutoEuropes, but not just in terms of talk, but also able to implement it,” he said, believing that “with a more competitive fiscal policy” it would be possible to “bring Eastern European countries on an equal footing” in terms of attracting large investments.

Casileiro’s trip was not Casileiro’s first – he had done it “three or four times” – and its purpose was to draw attention to the difficulties faced by passengers crossing the Tagus, whether due to labor problems at the company or lack of free seats. new ships.