Montenegro went to Parliament to defend himself from “injustices” and “falsehoods” about the fires

Government was not absent and Montenegro did not wake up late, it guarantees, but may “have contributed to this perception was created.”

The Prime Minister said this Wednesday that “It’s false” that the government has removed funds from forest policies, stating that there was a reprogramming of community funds, and considered “unfairThe criticism that was absent while the country burned.

“I also want to say that it is unfair and the argument that is used that funds were taken to this area. It is false,” said Luís Montenegro at the end of the debate on the situation of fires in Portugal, at the Permanent Commission of the Assembly of the Republic.

The Prime Minister stated that “There was some reprogramming In terms of community funds, as had already happened in the governments of the Socialist Party. ”

“Deputy José Luís Carneiro now speaks in 120 million, the previous government of the Socialist Party had made a reprogramming in the house of 100 million euros, with a difference, is that we We reprogramed Pepac [Plano Estratégico da Política Agrícola Comum]but we have other financing instruments namely the PRR [Programa de Recuperação e Resiliência]”He said.

The Prime Minister also said that the Government is “spending about 50% more than what was the expense of execution ”and that the intention is to“ continue to develop this investment ”.

Did not go to the ground out of respect

In his speech, the PS secretary-general accused the government of “lack of sensitivity” in prevention and not understanding “120 million euros from forest policies would have a very negative impact on the mobilization of society for a national priority.”

At the end of the debate, the prime minister again considered “even unfair” the accusation that “the government was absent and that the prime minister woke up late for this problem of forest fires”, despite admitting that can “have contributed to this perception may have been created. ”

Luís Montenegro stated that the government was following the evolution of the fires and that in the Council of Ministers of 7 August made “decisions for the concrete management of what was already the evolution of the situation on the ground.”

The chief executive also said that from then on the government did what was responsible for, refusing to go to the ground with civil protection coats dressed, out of respect for operational work.

“And we have fulfilled a strategy that aimed and aims to protect people and protect the heritage, that it is not to say that we are east of what goes on,” he said.

Formerly Montenegro assured that he himself, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the government were “Always to the helm” in the monitoring and coordination of firefighting.