The battle “in the mud” between Montenegro and Pedro Nuno Santos

On the middle of the Women’s Day, Portuguese politics was dominated by the exchange of criticism between two men, with Montenegro and Pedro Nuno Santos to accuse each other to throw Portugal into the mud.

For these hours there is an expression that dominates Portuguese politics: Old. The motto was released by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, who said yesterday that it seems to him there is no alternative to early electionsensuring that it is your responsibility “to prevent Portugal from being a country wrapped in mud”.

“My responsibility, and it seems that there is no alternative to this, is to return to the Portuguese the ability they only have to choose what they want for Portugal,” said Luís Montenegro at a PSD lunch under Women’s Day in Maia.

Addressing the “complexes” last days, following the case involving the company of his family, and that he was recently passed to his children, the social democratic leader said that his responsibility was to “prevent Portugal from being a country involved in mud”, “that Portuguese institutions are eroded by the irresponsibility of those who want to maintain the maintenance permanently muddy public space“.

“It was never my wish, it has never been and I have the notion that the Portuguese do not even realize why this will happen, but I have an obligation, for the responsibility that is entrusted to me, to know how to anticipate the problems,” he said.

The PSD leader and head of government rejected to leave the country to live “a year or a year and a half of instability when can solve this instability in two months“.

“I think the prime minister did not do neither or less than he does any Portuguese,” said Luís Montenegro when he concluded a reasoning in which he said Don’t seem to you that it is bad to “have worked”“To say what you worked on” and “you have decided that part of the work you launched can be legacy to members of your family.”

“If it is true that the Prime Minister has responsibilities that no other Portuguese has, I also want them to know that this Prime Minister feels exactly the same as any other Portuguese. Assuming these responsibilities, but being the same as others, ”he said.

Luís Montenegro reiterated that he did not commit any illegality or unlawfulness. “Does the Prime Minister impute any illegality? It seems not. Does it impute to the Prime Minister any illicit behavior? Neither. It seems that the Prime Minister has the responsibility of having worked“, He mocked.

The PSD leader also stated that the accusations of being “bound of anyone” are “unruly”, stating that Functioned in the company Spinumviva “not being forced to do so before being president of the PSD in 2022”.

The current political crisis began in February with the publication of news, by Correio da Manhã, about the family business arrested by the children and the wife of Montenegro, with whom it is, raising doubts about the fulfillment of the incompatibilities and impediments of the holders of public and political positions.

The Spinumviva company also received until a few days ago one from the Solverde group, the Express reported last week. This relationship between the Prime Minister and the Solverde Group It has also raised doubts of impartiality, since it is anticipated that the casinos concessionaire will negotiate the renewal of licenses with the government later this year.

The company revealed later that others of its customers were the FERPINTA Group, Radio Popular or the Luso-International College of Porto (Clip). On Friday night, the observer also reported that the Spinumviva received 194 thousand euros From the company of the father of the PSD candidate to the Braga Chamber, João Rodrigues.

Luís Montenegro announced on March 1 that Spinumviva would be detained only by his children and gave some explanations about the company. In the same statement admitted present a motion of trust If the parties did not guarantee that the executive would be able to rule. The PCP announced soon after the presentation of a spailed censorship motion, just 12 days after Parliament rejected another from the arrival.

“It was Montenegro who created the mud”

In response to Montenegro, the PS secretary-general accused the prime minister of “being in the mud” to whom he dragged PSD, government and now wanting to take the country, suggesting that he suggests that Montenegro “was a goodbye” for almost a year.

At the entrance to the presentation of the candidacy for the presidency of the Lisbon Chamber of Alexandra Leitão, Pedro Nuno Santos was asked about the words of the president of the PSD.

“It is nonetheless caricature, because the mud created was Luís Montenegro. Luís Montenegro is in the mud, dragged the PSD and his government to the mud and now he wants throw the country”, He accused.

Pedro Nuno Santos considered that Montenegro “can only complain about himself and is not from the Portuguese, not from political parties.”

“You have to stop being victimizedassuming responsibilities, because what we need is a prime minister with courage, frontality, transparency and not someone who always hides behind others, who blame everyone and reveals not yet realizing that we are unfortunately in this situation because of him and no one else, ”he said.

Asked if he also sees no alternative to early elections, the PS leader accused Luís Montenegro of fleeing “from the determination of truth, such as the devil flees the cross.”

“And therefore, Everything goes to avoid the inquirynamely the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry and the clarification. It is no longer enough to give answers. We need to be able to convince everyone that we have not had, which is increasingly difficult, we have not had a prime minister agreed for almost a year, ”he warned.

Pedro Nuno was not the only party leader to contest Montenegro’s attitude. Speaking to journalists on the fringes of various events that marked Women’s Day, the leftist parties also criticized the prime minister.

“What is known today is enough to conclude that the Prime Minister had a performance incompatible with the position From governance I had, and hence I didn’t want to explain anymore, because there are things that have no explanation, ”says Paulo Raimundo, leader of the PCP.

On the left block side, Mariana Mortágua accuses Montenegro of looking for a lot “a reason, an opportunity for elections, but chose the worst time to do so, because it’s a reason that put into question its own legitimacy as Prime Minister ”.

Already Pan Inês de Sousa Real says that Portugal “is watching an iron arm between Luís Montenegro and Pedro Nuno Santos” and regrets “that the Prime Minister has not given the clarifications necessary for the country and parliament at the right time ”.

The deputy of the free Isabel Mendes Lopes accuses Montenegro of “not providing clarification in due time” and not realizing that “has a great problem of confidence in the country.”

Parliament discusses next Tuesday the confidence motion presented by the government, which has announced, with the PS, which had announced two days earlier an inquiry commission to the case, warning that it will not make it viable. The rejection of a vote of confidence implies the dismissal of the government. The President of the Republic, in view of this scenario, has already anticipated that the possible dates to perform early legislatures as soon as possible is on May 11 or 18.