Santos Silva warns of “trumps” that Portugal risks losing in Europe
ANDn a press statement after a meeting of heads of European Union (EU) diplomacy in Luxembourg, Augusto Santos Silva, asked whether he considers risks associated with a rejection of OE2022, replied that yes, “several risks”, and began by leaving “Two Alerts” as Minister responsible for European Affairs.
“As minister responsible for European Affairs, I have two warnings to make: the first is that political stability has always been a feature of the Portuguese political situation, which has greatly helped the work of the minister responsible for European Affairs in the dialogue with European institutions and with his colleagues. And the country does not divert that advantage, particularly in comparison with the instability that several other Member States “, began by referring.
Secondly, he continued, Portugal has “a golden opportunity” to combine the funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) with three other sources of funds – those that still remain to be executed from Portugal2020, the funds that will start to be transferred of Portugal2030, and eliminated from the national budget – as “a lever for the country’s economic recovery that the country should not waste”.
“Throughout these six years that I have been working as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I have always been able to show two great trump cards in Brussels, and whoever says in Brussels also says in Frankfurt [sede do Banco Central Europeu]: the first trump card is the great consensus that exists in Portugal in terms of European policy, namely in terms of commitment to school discipline and rigor in the administration of public resources. And the second great asset is institutional and political stability in Portugal”, he pointed out.
“This political stability, this institutional stability, I insist, is an asset. It is an element that not only facilitates my life as Minister of European Affairs, but is well preserved – I know what I’m talking about – by the European institutions and by the other Member States . And we shouldn’t lose these two trump cards, “he reinforced.
Although noting that he only commented on the importance of the approval of OE2022 as Minister of Foreign Affairs and did not comment on “internal matters”, Santos Silva still defends that “the budget proposal is very good”, as “it means the payment of less taxes by the middle class in Portugal, greater support for the most needed, and contains very important measures to stimulate investment, both public and private, to improve the business environment, and support an active demography policy, particularly aimed at families young people with children”.
Asked if he spoke today with his counterparts about the difficulties that the Government is experiencing this year to approve its State budget in parliament, Santos Silva said no, commenting that “everyone trusts in the wisdom that Portugal has shown” , and who said he believes he will give back.
“Even the baskets are washed, and therefore we are still in the harvest in terms of the 2022 budget, and my conviction is that, until the baskets are washed, the harvest will be well done”, elaborated.
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