PS Secretary-General advocates negotiation between the government and socialists about defense and criticizes Portugal’s surprise announcement at NATO summit on the reinforcement of investment to 2% of GDP this year and 5% by 2035.
PS Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro challenged the prime minister to negotiate with the socialists a proposal for a “strategic agreement for a national development plan and defense training” with a defined period of three months.
According to writes the who cites a letter sent on Friday to Luís Montenegro, the socialist calls for a formal audience to start this understanding and criticizes Portugal’s surprise announcement at NATO summit about increasing defense investment to 2% of GDP this year and 5% by 2035.
Carneiro argues that decisions of this dimension require broad political consensus and appeals to the creation of a PS/PSD working group.
“I come to formally propose the opening of an institutional dialogue between the PSD and the PS, with a view to defining a parliamentary convergence platform in national defense, in particular with regard to strategic investment,” writes José Luis Carneiro.
In the letter, the PS Secretary-General writes that such consensus “should be based on structuring principles, shared strategic guidelines and a set of concrete measures” involving the sectors of industry, science, innovation, education and public administration.
José Luís Carneiro, proposes the constitution of a parliamentary working group Set PSD/PS which, in articulation with the government and with representatives “of the sectors relevant to the matter in appreciation”, may present, within three months, a proposal for a strategic agreement for a plan for national development and qualification of defense.
This proposal will then be submitted to the Assembly of the Republic, according to José Luis Carneiro.
Need for more investment in the defense in discussion
The PS considers what The commitments made by Portugal at NATO, Hague, “are not likely to be fulfilled without wide social and political support, to obtain that the government has done nothing.”
The Prime Minister called São Bento both PS and arrives, which is now the second largest party with parliamentary representation, on June 18, to discuss the need to reinforce the investment in defense.
However, according to the PS reveals in this letter, this meeting was provided “little information about how the resources of this significant increase in public expense in defense would be employed”, and the socialists were caught by surprise with the announcement of 5% of GDP until 2035 days later.
