Prime minister Luís Montenegro has finally broken his silence of recent days – but it is unlikely that opposition parties heard what they were hoping for.
The leader of the minority AD government appeared in no mood for compromise as he addressed parliament at the opening of the debate on the proposed State Budget.
He began by praising the actions of PSP police at the right to housing protests last weekend (protests that saw dozens injured after forceful baton charges into crowds), stressing that officers had been “especially careful and competent”.
“The PSP has been especially careful and competent in restoring normality whenever there are excesses and violations of the law and the rights of other citizens”, he stated, making a point of citing the “educational approach, professionalism, balance and reasonableness of (police) actions in compliance with the principles of necessity, appropriateness and proportionality”.
“First of all, at no time has the exercise of the right to assembly and demonstration under the law been prevented in Portugal. In Portugal, people are free to express political judgments, to present their points of view and to criticise the actions or omissions of those in political power”, he said.
However, “this right and the way it is exercised must comply with the law and with a fair balance with other rights such as freedom of movement, public order, safety, peace and even public health”.
“It is only when this compliance is not observed that the security forces must, on behalf of all of us, act and intervene”, he added.
And then he launched into a party-political attack of left-wingers, accusing PS Socialists and sundry of wanting to reap “party-political gains” from the “real frustration” of those protesting in the streets.
“Socialist, communist and Left Bloc members of parliament are thinking of their own particular interests to reap party-political gains from the real frustration of many citizens. At the same time as they also seek, in their own particular interests, to conceal their direct responsibility for the current situation”, he said – again showing little inclination towards the ‘dialogue’ so desired by President Seguro.
True, the PM said he did not want to focus the debate on the “blame game”, but said he wanted to “give the opportunity” to these parties to acknowledge their mistakes “as the only way to be taken seriously in contributing to solutions in the future”.
“If you continue to spew demagoguery and opportunism you will continue not to be part of the solution and you will continue your journey towards political irrelevance”, he predicted, suggesting that the government, and himself, have “every respect and understanding for those who are on the streets in good faith”.
The PM went on to defend the PSD/CDS-PP minority government’s housing policy – including the new legal framework for renting, approved in general terms and awaiting detailed discussion (with most parties saying it must be ditched).
“With the reform of the rental framework, we want more confidence, because more confidence means more homes on the rental market”, he said, disregarding concerns that giving landlords a much freer hand to set rents, and demand large deposits, may not be in the interests of nationals struggling with the rising cost of living.
Source material: LUSA