Portugal gets tired – Observer
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1 Remember the TGV? Minister Pedro Nuno Santos informed days ago The Porto/Vigo line has no announced timetable, but it is impossible to even imagine that it will be operational before 2030. it started during the second government of António Guterres (1999-2002) and, in 2003, during the creation of four lines — Lisbon/Madrid, Porto/Vigo, Lisbon/Porto, Porto/Salamanca (via Aveiro). Amidst confusion and indecision, in 2010, the government of Sócrates contracts the contract for the first section of the Lisbon/Madrid line, but this would be annulled by the Court of Auditors 2012, which decided the visa. During this period, other tenders were canceled and the project fell apart under the Passos Coelho government, in the midst of the financial crisis.
Made beyond time projects, on ideas, meetings, projects and costsV at least 150 million euros without even leaving the paper — this without taking into account the indemnities of millions that as claimed companies. In between, it took place at the highest level: José Sócrates was accused in the operation of Marquês business data company and receipt of millions of euros in almost exchange. All in all, policies and management mistakes, it will be 30 years of advances and setbacks to fulfill just the initial part of the TGV — and a lot of money expected to go into design studies and disappointments.
two Remember the new Lisbon airport? The same minister Pedro Nuno Santos informed that it expects to have the Strategic Environmental Assessment in 2023 for the new Lisbon airport. After years of competition for scenarios and locations for the new airport, there are three options on the table: Portela (main) + Montijo (complementary); Montijo (main) + Portela (complementary); Alcochete. One option Portela+1 has already been treated as definitive, but it ceased to be. In 2016, it had an agreement for a new airport in Montijo, scheduled to open in 2024 — but, in the meantime, it fell apart. In 2019, the government had an agreement for the expansion of Portela airport – but everything was put on hold. Given the current situation, there is a new airport infrastructure before 2035 or 2040. And when did this start? The subject is older than Portuguese democracy: since 1969 a new location has been discussed to Lisbon airport and evaluate options. The issue crossed all governments, without reaching a consensus, more than 50 years later.
3 Remember regionalization? At the beginning of 2022, the President of the Republic chose regionalization as a theme to contest with “urgency”, as it has been a “central theme” in European societies for several decades. In Portugal, there are really decades of discussion, which began in the Estado Novo and continued in the transition to democracy. Discussion that culminated in a popular referendum, in 1998, that rejected regionalization — but that did not deter its main promoters. In 2016, Rui Rio explicitly defended regionalization as a way of giving a new impetus to Portugal. In 20, the prime minister took over19, stating that the PS has always been in favor of regionalization. Nonetheless, an “Independent” Commission for Decentralization,, socialist João Cravinho, leadership, by socialist João Cravinho, by socialist João Cravinho, leadership, for the report proposing a regionalization model João Cravoroso in 2020 without regionalization Portugal will become a province of Spain. However, decentralization is now being implemented, which many project as an antechamber to regionalization, while lamenting the requirement to convene a referendum (which they still do not know how to resolve). With 50 years of debates and 25 years passed since the referendum, the only consensus is to continue… to debate.
4 Remember the lowering of higher education fees? A week ago, PS buys tuition freeze until 2023/2024. Coincidentally, on the same day a opinion article by Miguel Herdade On tuition fees, which emphasized what education such as tuition fees have reported for years as a way for the poor to subsidize more through taxes) to the rich. Every year, the topic of tuition fees in higher education reappears in the debate — either through student activism or through discussions of funding for higher education institutions. In fact, since their introduction in the 1990s, tuition fees have been the preferred target of student movements, highlighting the demonstration on November 24, 1994, police intervention and surveillance of violence. After thirty years of debates and academic struggle, the political governments of António Costa lowered tuition fees to the amount of 697 euros (in 2015, the maximum value was 1063 euros) and the PS made this a flag. It is really extraordinary: despite all these years having passed, with long debates and exposition of arguments, the country remains oblivious to the evidence and surrendered to the ideological claim, incapable of realizing that the anti-bribery fight actually serves the interests of those who can pay tuition fees — and that does not solve the problems of access to higher education for those from disadvantaged social backgrounds.
5 These above are very recent examples of discussions with which, in the monotony of its advances and setbacks, Portugal has been busy for decades, to no avail. (that the reform is evident, but also the lack of the teacher’s order) or how the reform is evident, but also the lack of the teacher’s order. of the electoral system (discussed for decades and now in politics). Or, still, you can illustrate with examples of how the country can be surprised by the same information over and over: see how, last week, the country was shocked by the information that parental education is a predictor of school success of the children and restarted a debate about the situation — this is a fact consolidated by the investigation for years.
6 There’s a Queen song, “I want to break free” (1984), in which Freddie Mercury sings wryly that he had just fallen in love for the first time and that this time he knew he was serious. Portugal is always discovering the same, initiating the same debates, reaching the same ones, but without the youthful charm: it is always arriving at the same debates, arriving at the same debates, agreeing on the same inconsequences. And with each restart, he really believes that this time it will be. But it never is. Until the day when, whoever wants to, and as in the song, Portugal will have to free itself from whoever is tying it.