President stresses this is not moment to talk further
President Marcelo intends to formally dismiss the government during the first days of December.
Answering some of the barrage of questions put to him by journalists yesterday, Portugal’s head of State stressed that this is not the moment for him to talk further. It is the time of the various parties standing in upcoming elections on March 10, at which point it will be the time for the people to say what they want.
Then “the president’s moment will come – which is the moment for forming the government”, he said, increasingly pushed to explain whether or not there is ‘any party’ that he would prefer to exclude from a government formula.
Refusing to be drawn on this kind of detail, Marcelo simply replied that he will look for a government formula “closest” to his “reading of the will of the people”.
The president was surrounded by reporters on the sidelines of an event at the Portuguese Catholic University. He explained that he has been less visible in recent days (in which politicians of all parties have been bitterly criticising each other’s policies and abilities) because he believes it is really not the moment where he should be visible.
Today sees the final global vote on the vastly truncated 2024 State Budget – a document that PS Socialists have altered in ways that will increase their chances at the ballot box – and one that is certain to pass, given the government’s absolute majority.
As voting takes place, teachers thwarted in their bid to receive the benefits from years ‘frozen’ by previous governments are holding a protest.
Under the terms of Article 186 , nº 5, of the Portuguese Constitution, once the government has been officially dismissed early next month, PS Socialists will be limited to acts “strictly necessary to ensure the management of public affairs”. ND
