José Luís Carneiro dubs healthy public accounts essential to attract foreign investment
José Luís Carneiro, the only candidate (so far) for leadership of the deeply-wounded Socialist party, has stressed the importance of Portugal having public accounts ‘in order’ to attract foreign investment – saying the minority government should heed international warnings.
It is by no means certain that Carneiro will end up being nominated secretary-general of the Socialist party, but he is increasingly showing himself to be a politician ready for dialogue with the coalition government that needs support to pass any of its policies.
He has already offered a pact over key areas (foreign and European affairs, defence, security, justice and state reform), but his approach is not entirely consensual within the party that still has those who believe ‘outspoken figures’ would better present the Socialist cause.
Commentators, however, suggest the party has a long way to go to repair the damage of the last elections, and José Luís Carneiro may be ‘just the ticket’ to start rebuilding.
In this context, his entreaty to the government to ‘heed international warnings’ about accounts slipping backwards; about a return of the deficit, show he is focused on the good of the country, and not so taken up with party-politics.
“We have already warned the Government about the need to heed international warnings, because having healthy public accounts is an essential condition for attracting foreign direct investment,” he said when he formally presented his candidacy for secretary-general of the party in Aveiro at the weekend.
Foreign direct investment contributes to financing and capitalising national companies and the country’s economy, said Carneiro – and it is through this capitalisation that it is possible to create wealth, employment, more income and improve people’s living conditions.
For now, José Luís Carneiro is focused on trying to rebuild the party; fomenting support for Socialist municipalities in the upcoming municipal elections in a few months’ time (date still to be announced)
“The faster we reconstitute ourselves as a leading opposition force, the faster we will also be able to assert this alternative to Portuguese society,” he told his audience.
Regarding a decision on who the PS will formally support in the presidential elections in the New Year, Carneiro referred to the priority of local elections. His choice will come afterwards.
This is the second time in the space of a year and a half that José Luís Carneiro has run for the leadership of the PS, after having lost to Pedro Nuno Santos in 2023 – a man whose election is now being seen as one of the greatest mistakes the party has made for a long time. ND
Source material: LUSA
