Santos Silva says that Portugal “lost its great international asset: political stability”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs said this Wednesday, in an interview with TVI, that Portugal “lost its greatest asset at the international level”, political stability, anpost a proposed State Budget for 2022 has failed Parliament.
Although he claims that no abnormality is at stake at the European level, Augusto Santos Silva speaks of a “mishap” and an “error in the path”, reiterating that the path taken is “absolutely surprising and illogical”. The minister even says he thinks that “there is an excess of confidence on the part of the parties that seem to be unable to resist inflicting defeats on the PS”.
It’s a little bit hateful to the closest. But not understanding the vote against, not understanding how Rui Rio achieves a victory today, preventing the Budget proposal from passing, counting for that on the votes against the left of the PS“he says.
Asked if he shares Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s point of view about whether prior anticipation is the most convenient scenario for the country, Santos Silva says it is an “expected thought”, however he explains that we must face these circumstances “without too much drama”.
The Government will be in full function until called upon to change. At that moment, we will enter the electoral period and, from there, the Government will have to be formed and a new Budget proposal will be made. This clarification can be helpful.“, he concludes, saying that the Government must have political authority.
Augusto Santos Silva considers possible repetition of the contraption in the next
During an interview, the minister says that a repetition of the contraption is possible in the next circumstances, if there is no absolute majority of the Socialist Party.
“Yes, it is possible, because I am sure that all parties will accept the electoral results”, he says.
If the President of the Republic decides to convene, dissolving the Parliament, the people will speak out, saying who wants to lead the Government and there are three possibilities: either the right makes the majority, or the Socialist Party has an absolute majority or it manages to make a majority with the PAN, or is there a circumstance structurally similar to the current“he says.
Make your point, the MNE says that the right defeated the Budget approved by the PS, “but only achieved this political victory, because the parties on the left voted with the right against the Budget”.
Minister Augusto Santos Silva also asks what the parties gained from the lead in the 2022 State Budget. “Does the minimum wage increase more? No. Is the increase in pensions higher than what the government was proposing? No, not even there is an increase in pensions”.
Santos Silva affirms that a majority will certainly be found to Govern, “and it is not desirable to find solutions from the central bloc”.
Desirably, the PS and the PSD should lead the Government in competition. It is the healthiest for a democracy“he says.
Santos Silva also believes “that there are many hundreds of thousands of Portuguese who are wondering how a minority right managed to defeat the Budget with the votes in favor of the Left Block and PCP”.