António Cotrim / Lusa
Communist Representative Paula Santos
Communist parliamentary leader speaks of silencing during the government’s agreement led by António Costa.
The Assembly of the Republic had more than 40 Communist Deputies – 1980s, in the days of Álvaro Cunhal.
Looking at a nearest past, CDU got 17 Deputies In 2015 (and thus joined the agreement to the left that formed the government at the time).
But four years later, it fell to 12 Deputies and in 2022 came down abruptly to 6 Deputies.
Last year, a historical minimum: only 4 Deputies elected from the PCP. None of the PEV.
Was it because of the sprint? “It’s a very complex question,” began by answering Paula Santos.
The parliamentary leader of the PCP recalls that each election has its context, in the midst of a “bipolarity” between PS and PSD.
But it does not hide criticism of the PS of António Costa, in the days of the so -called Geringonça: “There was appropriation between 2015 and 2019 by the PS of measures – such as school manuals or social pass, income replacements – which only advanced by the intervention and influence of the PCP”.
On the radio, the deputy speaks in “PCP intervention silence operation and deletion.
Gives as an example access to social communication: “The interventions, the PCP proposals – which are not highlighted“.
But in 2025, if necessary, does the PCP join the PS again to form government? “A lesson that we can take from this time (2015): What marked the difference and that really contributed to the improvements of living conditions was the strength of the PCP.”
“If we want to advance, break with way, the option is the reinforcement of the PCP and the CDU. At the time there was no more advances because the PS didn’t want to“The communist deputy continued.
Paula Soares stressed that a reinforced CDU would give better living conditions to the Portuguese, but leaves no definitive response about new geringonça on the left: “What will determine are the results, the preferences of voters. I won’t be anticipating scenarios“.
