(dr) National Defense
Military personnel claim that the proposal to create a paid volunteering program for young people does not respond to the structural problems of low salaries in the Armed Forces.
The proposal presented by the PSD and the CDS-PP to create, aimed at attracting young people to the Armed Forces, is being subject of great criticism by experts and military personnel.
The project, called “Defender Portugal”, is aimed at young people between 18 and 23 years old, and offers incentives such as the possibility of obtaining free driving licenseone payment of 439.21 euros during basic instruction and benefits in competitions for access to security forces and firefighters.
One of the main points of criticism is related to the low value of the proposed remuneration. “Regardless of the goodwill of the idea, it is rooted in an endemic problem in Portugal: low wages”, says Navy Commander João Fonseca Ribeiro to .
Lieutenant Colonel João Alvelos also recommends that it would be “more effective to put young people in direct contact with successful examples” within the Armed Forces itself. The soldier also remembers that there were similar programs in the 90s that had more attractive benefits, such as benefits for entering Higher Education and that were more successful. “We’ll see what it will be like now, with less incentives for candidates”, he adds.
Former Chief of Staff of the Navy Henrique Gouveia e Melo is also not convinced, considering that the proposal is nothing more than “political marketing“.Ao, the presidential candidate recommends that the priority should be to create more attractive careers and recalls the situation of military personnel who joined after 2005, who will have pensions equivalent to around half of their last salary.
“After the 439 euros and the driver’s license, what connection do you have with the Armed Forces? What is this? Create a kind of scouts?”, also questions General Pinto Ramalho, Chief of Staff of the Army between 2006 and 2011.
Still, there are those who recognize some potential in the initiative. Retired lieutenant general Eduardo Silvestre dos Santos admits that the volunteering “can be a principle” to attract young people, but recalls that the issue of driving licenses “may even constitute unfair competition with driving schools”.
The National Driving School Association also criticized the measure, expressing “deep concern” for “promote the usurpation of functions of the State and the private sector”.
The “Defender Portugal” program arises in a context in which the Armed Forces have around 24,500 soldiers, a number considered insufficient given the needs. The estimated cost of the measure is around R$4.5 million for every two thousand participants.
