Following weeks of statements and criticism of the government by former prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho, the current prime minister has called his predecessor’s bluff.
Without once mentioning Passos Coelho’s name, the leader of the PSD social democrats has brought forward ‘leadership elections’ (scheduled for September) to May, “so that there is no doubt” who is the preferred choice.
Anyone seeing “a different path” for the party that leads the AD government coalition should “present themselves”.
Mr Montenegro was talking last night at the National Council, days after the media focused on Passos Coelho’s call for a ‘right wing pact’ (including CHEGA and Iniciativa Liberal) to lead the country – and a lot more in the way of ‘reforms’.
“I like to be clear and direct,” Montenegro told his audience. “If there is an alternative and different path, let it be presented and subject to consideration by the party, its bodies, and its members. We are here to transform Portugal, to listen to those who want to help us, but also not to lose the opportunity, the honour, and the privilege that we achieved at the polls with the trust of the Portuguese people.
The party “cannot have doubts” of the reformist path of the current government, even though it is happy to accept “incentives to change” (one of the expressions used by Passos Coelho in his recent remarks). In fact, “those who have doubts in the PSD, are in fact not understanding what we are doing,” said the PM – stressing that he does not want to be president of the PSD or head of government “without the confidence of PSD members and Portuguese voters.”
Source material: Diário de Notícias/ Lusa
