Antonio Pedro Santos / LUSA
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the Minister of Internal Administration, Margarida Blasco.
Controversies are accumulating in Health, but the Minister of Internal Administration will be the most fragile in the Executive. Ana Paula Martins will be able to demonstrate positive results in the next critical moments, the Government believes.
The Government is focused on a possible remodel in the Executive next spring and in a more detailed assessment in the fall, when municipal elections and approval of the State Budget are just around the corner.
Almost a year after taking office, the Government led by Luís Montenegro faces political pressures from various cornersespecially with regard to the Ministers of Health and Internal Administration.
According to sources, Margarida Blascofrom the Internal Administration, is seen as the most fragile figure in the Government, but Ana Paula Martinsowner of the Health portfolio, will be able to demonstrate positive results in the next critical moments, the Government believes.
As accumulated controversies
The two ministers are the rulers who most controversies accumulate.
The most recent to hit Ana Paula Martins occurred a few days ago, with the dismissal of the general director of the SNS, Gandra D’Almeida, accused of . Health Minister Ana Paula Martins would be aware of the situation.
The minister also saw a series of people associated with the INEM’s inability to respond at a time of strike by pre-hospital emergency technicians (which the minister said she was not aware of, having been through the Secretary of State).
For lying and not acting in , several parties and the dentists’ union of Ana Paula Martins, who said that her continuity “depended on the results of the investigation” into the deaths allegedly caused by INEM’s ineffective response, but which took control of IGAS, who coordinates the investigation, which led to accusations of ““.
Margarida Blasco has also had controversial moments, with her absence and silence in three cases: in the big fires in Madeira (there was “the”, accused some mayors), in Cape Verde, shot by a police officer, and in the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration in Lisbon.
Blasco was also denied by the Government itself in discussing the right to strike by the security forces, wanted “out of the basket” which are the security forces (a phrase that did not go down well with the police) and was accused of devaluing the
Despite everything, Luís Montenegro didn’t let either of them fall. In the case of Ana Paula Martins, he refused to talk about her dismissal.
“Ministers are in the Government to solve problems. It is not to drag on and try, deep down, to get around the problems so that, eventually, by changing the protagonists, the problems persist”, said the head of Government at the time.
Local authorities are concerned
Despite the difficulties, those close to the Prime Minister maintain the narrative that the Government is committed to stability and compliance with the program.
The government reshuffle in the spring is a discussed scenario, with possible changes depending on the departure of key figures for the municipal race. This is the case of Pedro Duarte, who will be the prime minister’s favorite for the Porto Chamber. Still, the government’s strategy aims to maintain the focus on solving structural problems and strengthening the confidence of the electorate, say the weekly’s sources.
Within the PSD, the late choice of candidates for mayor concerns local structures, Expresso is still advancing, especially in important cities like Porto, where the opponent is already in an active campaign. Lisbon, Figueira da Foz and Oeiras will now be the main focuses of hope for the Social Democrats, something that is also due to the growth of Chega, particularly south of the Tagus.
