Ana Jorge accuses the government of “rude, arrogant and slanderous” actions

On Tuesday, Ana Jorge sent a message to Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML) workers expressing outrage and surprise at her dismissal, which was formalized by the government on Monday.

In the text SATURDAY had access, Ana Jorge says she was “surprised” to receive the news of her dismissal as SCML provider less than a year after taking up the position. He says it was “an honor to serve this house.”

He continues: “It has been a very difficult 11 months in which we have clearly made progress towards financial stability, employee motivation and, most importantly, the social responsibilities we have made to thousands of people. That’s why – because of so much work done in such a short time and within the framework of a complete and solid restructuring plan that we developed and wanted to implement, and which I am not so sad today, just because of this.”

Ana Jorge then goes on the attack, especially because of the way she was fired. “The statement from the Ministry of Labor because of the arrogant and slanderous justification for my dismissal is a cause for disappointment for me. I have always felt, and today more than ever, that in politics, as in life, nothing happens. But in any case, in my own time and in my own space, I will speak my truth, which is the truth of a man who served SCML with the same dedication and spirit of mission with which I carried out my mission. various public and civic functions throughout my life.”

The (now) former provider devotes his “last word” to the institution’s employees, saying that the project was interrupted by the government halfway through: “There was no time to do what was planned, but please do not give up on SCML, which needs to each of you has fulfilled your mission among the most vulnerable segments of the population. Thank you very much”.

In accordance with SATURDAY As reported on Monday, Pedro Mota Soares is to head the institution. CDS activist with experience as a minister of solidarity and currently working in the social bodies of the Misericordia de Cascais, Mota Soares did not confirm but declined the invitation. “Sorry, I won’t talk about this topic. Not in on neither in Off“, I told SATURDAY.

The alleged absence of an urgent restructuring plan was supposedly the last straw for the government to put at the helm of the institution a person of its political color and the personal trust of leaders of both parties.

If the appointment is confirmed, it will be the return of CDS to the leadership of SCML after Maria José Nogueira Pinto served as supplier between 2002 and 2005 – at a time when the government that oversees the institution was also part of the PSD-CDS coalition. Durau Barroso and then Pedro Santana Lopez became prime ministers. He was followed by Ruy Cunha (2005–2011), Pedro Santana López himself (2011–2017), then Edmundo Mariño (2017–2023) and finally Ana Jorge, who took charge of the institution last year but could not resist the change in composition . Government.

According to data presented in an audit requested by Ana Jorge’s management, SCML faces an extremely fragile financial situation. The interim results, known in September 2023, were unsatisfactory and the Misericórdia de Lisboa sent “indications of irregularities” to the Attorney General’s Office.

A few months before SATURDAY wrote a long article about the hole in SCML’s accounts, which stated that the institution had accumulated losses of €72.1 million in 2020 and 2021, although the accounts for 2021 had not yet been approved by the responsible minister at that time. The delay was due to the minister’s uncertainty about the financial situation presented by the management of the previous service provider, Edmundo Martinho.