The PSD president regretted this Sunday that the PS “coexists badly” with the “critical spirit” of Cavaco Silva and that PS mayors, specifically Luísa Salgueiro, did not have “the humility” to listen to the criticism of the former President of the Republic .
“We deeply regret that the PS does not coexist with the critical spirit of someone who has the responsibility of having governed the country for ten years and then having been President of the Republic for another ten. He is the most scrutinized Portuguese politician in terms of being chosen by the Portuguese population since the 25th of April”, said Luís Montenegro, who was speaking in Vila Real, on the sidelines of the “Building the Alternative” days.
In his statements, the PSD leader was referring to the conference that took place on Saturday and marked the 30th anniversary of the Special Rehousing Program (PER), an initiative of the Lisbon Chamber and in which harsh criticism was heard by the former President of the Republic. in relation to the new “More Housing” program and the actions of the Socialist Government led by António Costa.
During Cavaco Silva’s speech, PS mayors, namely the president of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), Luísa Salgueiro, left the room.
“And it is very symptomatic that the PS reacts badly and that, even in the very session where I had the opportunity to be present, the PS mayors and, in particular the president of the ANMP, did not have the humility to listen to the criticism of the Government” .
On top of that, he added, “being the president of an Association of Municipalities that naturally includes mayors from her party, but also from the PSD, the PCP, from all political forces and even from citizens and independent groups, finally, have the respect and humility to listen to those that are legitimate considerations, even if she disagrees with them, from President Aníbal Cavaco Silva”.
Already inside the room, in his speech before the militants from Trás-os-Montes, Luís Montenegro returned to the subject and accused the socialists of “lack offair play democratic”.
“For the president of the PSD, this attitude “demonstrates a way of being that, unfortunately, the PS has been instilling in the country that is too tribal with regard to democratic coexistence between political forces”.
“It’s not because we belong to different parties that we should, purely and simply, disrespect others. Just now I’ve woven here deserved and well-deserved praise for a figure in the country who was a PS militant, Commander Rui Nabeiro, and my relatives didn’t care in the mud for that. I deeply regret that the PS does not have the same attitude towards considerations that are made by people from another political space”, he stressed.
The social-democratic president reiterated that “evidently” the PSD follows “the considerations that yesterday [sábado] were made by President Cavaco Silva”.