Manuel de Almeida / LUSA
Luis Montenegro
The Christmas speech around “Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality” did not convince several elements of the opposition: “He was elected to decide”.
“We don’t all have to agree, but we have to understand that it’s not our individual position that’s most important.”
“Now that we will have around three and a half years without national elections, it is time for us all to focus on fulfilling our responsibility and doing everything to guarantee Portugal and every Portuguese person a more prosperous future”.
“Portugal is today a reference at European and global level. Portuguese incomes are rising and our economy is growing consistently above the European average.”
Or even “It’s the difference between playing to draw or having the winning mentality of always playing to win. And I want to tell you that my option and that of the Government is clearly the second. We are at a historic moment in which we have to let go of the mentality of letting go and we have to acquire and work on the mentality of overcoming. The mentality of going further and asserting ourselves through excellence. Cristiano Ronaldo’s mentality”.
On Christmas Day, Luis Montenegro left a feeling of confidence and optimism.
Mass opposition has a different view.
Inês de Medeiros (PS and president of Almada City Council) thinks that the prime minister has a new profession: “He decided to be a kind of self-help mentor with motivational speeches. Now, that’s not why he was elected. He was elected to decide, govern and create strategies in the short, medium and long term to solve the problems that effectively affect the Portuguese”.
Mariana Leitão, leader of IL, says that Portugal is in a “anemic growth. The Prime Minister talks about minimum wage increases when he should be talking about salary increases in general. We need to stop being a country of minimums to become a country of maximums”, accused the deputy.
Paulo Muacho, from Livre, thinks that Montenegro “seems like lives in a different country“.
Margarida Botelho (PCP), also mentioned in , warns that “people don’t have a lack of mentality, they just have a lack of money to reach the end of the month. They don’t lack the desire to find a house, they just lack the salary that can afford houses at fair prices. They don’t lack the mentality to have a family doctor, they need to have a family doctor”, said Margarida Botelho.
