Government wants to do best by police, but there cannot be “unrealistic scenarios”
Prime minister Luís Montenegro has emerged from what many saw as a form of tactical ‘exile’ to tackle some of the burning issues of the day (before they rage further out of control).
Speaking at the swearing in ceremony of the new national director of the PSP (Superintendent Luís Carrilho) he showed that the government means to do its best by the police, but is working in “a difficult context”.
“It’s clear that in order to have the capacity to recruit more people into the police force, to retain more people in the police force, we have to make the career more attractive, we have to give it more value, in a difficult context where unfortunately we have this problem across the board through the entire public administration”.
According to the PM, “there are hundreds of thousands of public service providers in various areas who find themselves in the same situation” (underpaid/ undervalued).
“Any (financial) change causes very substantial changes to our accounts and our budget management”.
Montenegro does not want to “diminish the will” or “the government’s pre-disposition” to updating the careers of security forces, but he left a warning, writes Lusa.
“There is no point fuelling public opinion with unrealistic scenarios; this leads to a relationship of mistrust when we tell society that we can do something that we don’t have…”
Despite the warnings, the PM reiterated his “very firm intention to, in the short term” give “good continuity to negotiations that have been started with a sense of responsibility”, praising the “very committed” way in which the Minister of Internal Affairs, Margarida Blasco, has conducted the process, and implicitly asking for the same attitude on the other side of the negotiating table.
“We in the government are the government at all times and so are the agents of security, whether they are on the streets, in their associations or in their unions at the negotiating table (…) This is not the time for interviews, for messages through the media”, he added (referring to the copious documenting of this struggle over social media) “but for homework”.
Whether this assuages the vociferous union leaders – who have been threatening more protests if they don’t get everything they want – the PM’s stance has shaken the snowdome.
Media commentators acknowledged last night that he has changed his strategy in terms of how to steer his precarious minority government through the obstacles ahead.
Initially, the PSD leader sought to “construct his charisma through a rarity of public appearances and the protocol of power”, explains editorial director general Carlos Rodrigues.
But this has backfired on two scores: the first being, “problems that have arisen caused by the proliferation of ministers who reveal themselves to be less than competent”; the second being the advantage leaders of CHEGA and PS Socialists have taken of Montenegro’s ‘absence’ – both appearing on television screens continually, giving interviews and the impression that they are running the country from the benches of the opposition.
“The prime minister has rolled up his sleeves and is going into battle”, says Rodrigues.
This may bring cohesion to the fledgling executive which is beset from all sides.
Meantime, a political cartoon today features CHEGA leader André Ventura and PS secretary-general Pedro Nuno Santos arguing (like children) over who is the ‘president of the opposition’… ND
Source material: Lusa/ Correio da Manhã
