Paulo Novais / Lusa
The president of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, during the closing session of the party’s 43rd National Congress
Even after the failure of labor laws, the PSD congress confirmed Luís Montenegro’s strategy: criticizing PS and Chega for the parliamentary blockade, but keeping the dialogue open to try to make reforms viable.
The 43rd PSD National Congress ended this Sunday in Anadia with the approval of the Luis Montenegrowhich keeps the door open for negotiations with Chega and PS, despite labeling them as immobilists.
The lead of the government’s proposal to review the Labor Code, on Friday, through a combination of votes from Chega and the parliamentary left, nothing changed in the strategy that Luís Montenegro had outlined in his motion and which ended approved unanimously on Saturday, but it had an impact on the tone of the main meeting.
At a congress that was unprecedented in the “accountability” by 14 of the 16 ministers of the Government of Montenegro, the dominant tone of the interventions was criticism of the PT and Chega positions on the political level, but no break protection.
A single voice echoed in unanimitythat of the newly elected leader of the Braga district, Carlos Eduardo Reisfor whom Chega “is unreliable”.
“I cannot accept the idea that negotiating with the PS is the same to negotiate with Chega”, said the PSD/Braga leader, arguing that it is necessary to dialogue with the socialists, also to hold them accountable and commit.
If there were doubts about the path to follow in the face of André Ventura’s party, after the , the general secretary dispelled them at the beginning of the main meeting: Hugo Soares admitted that Friday “was a bad day for the country”, but that “it won’t change anything” nor alter the Government’s coursewho “has a strategy”.
“I want to say to congress and the country: if Chega and PS gave up on the country, we we will not give up calling them to reasonwe have to govern and continue with the dialogue in the Assembly of the Republic”, highlighted the number two of the PSD, who combines the functions of general secretary and president of the parliamentary group.
Montenegro also, right at the opening of the work, defended the strategy of absence of preferred partners, maintaining the line of political equidistance between Chega and PS, despite accusing both parties of preferring politics to change.
“With my political future, you know that I am one to take risks, to dare, to dream, I am not one to be intimidated”, he said.
The most direct response regarding André Ventura’s party, which placed the lowering of the retirement age as a “central issue” to enable the approval of labor laws, came in the closing speech, when Montenegro asked the Portuguese to “Don’t be fooled” (by Chega), warning that “lowering the retirement age today means cutting pensions tomorrow”.
The Prime Minister ended the meeting to announce eight measuressuch as the creation of a Portuguese sovereign wealth fund so that the State can intervene “in strategic sectors” and a reform of administrative and fiscal justice, classifying them as “decisions and new strategic and structuring transformations for the future” that will be developed in the short term.
The first day of the 43rd PSD Congress was also marked by a tribute to Francisco Pinto Balsemãofounder of the party and former prime minister, who is a PSD member.
Santana Lopes entered the congress few minutes before midnightwith few delegates in the room. He then spoke to explain his departure from the party in 2018 with fundamental disagreements regarding Rui Rio’s leadership and to praise the current leaderLuiz Montenegro.
