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For Catarina Martins, the injection of 850 million euros that allowed the Resolution Fund to transfer money to Novo Banco, was not, contrary to what the Minister of Finance declared, simply a communication failure, but “a failure of political commitment ” In reaction to the Mário Centeno interview, the leader of the Bloco de Esquerda (BE) recalled that there was a “political commitment on the part of the Prime Minister that there should be no new injections without audit results.” However, he did not fail to point out that if “it were only a communication failure, it would already be relevant between the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister at a time of debate.”
The BE coordinator also underlined that Parliament approved the need to continue with the additional audits of Novo Banco. “There could not be a new injection of Novo Banco without knowing the results,” he stressed. “The finance minister is wrong when he thinks that the problem was a communication failure. It is much more serious than that. It is unacceptable that this injection was made without knowing the results of the audit regarding the commitment and transparency of the process itself, ”said Catarina Martins, this morning.
What did not happen was a “financial failure” that “would be disastrous for the financial and banking system in Portugal,” since the current context does not allow the country “to allow itself to put a bank at risk,” he added.
The coordinator spoke this morning, during a break during the party’s meeting with specialists and health professionals, to The presentation and debate of the manifesto of ten proposals to strengthen the National Health Service (SNS).
The proposals are still being improved with expert suggestions and are divided between more immediate and reinforcing measures and others that are of fundamental legislative importance “that is, the revision of the Public Health Law, which are legislative and will be carried out at a later period because it needs a wider public debate, “he explained.
In addition to the coordinator of the Left Block, they are present at the meeting (in person and by videoconference) Henrique Barros, epidemiologist and president of the National Health Council; Ana Matos Pires, psychiatrist and advisor to the National Mental Health Program; Maria Augusta, former president of the Order of Nurses; Noel Carrilho, President of the National Federation of Doctors; and Luís Dupont, President of the National Union of Senior Health Technicians in the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Areas, among others.
Limit approved in February
The transfer of 850 million euros was the maximum allowed without Parliament’s appreciation, according to a PSD proposal approved last February, the party recalled earlier this afternoon on its official website. The proposal, presented within the scope of the State Budget for 2020, establishes that “the loan from the Resolution Fund, for an amount of 850 million euros (…) constituted the maximum limit of the State’s obligations regulated by contract between the parties “, because” any addition to this obligation requires the approval of the Assembly of the Republic “.
It was approved by 109 votes in favor (PSD, BE, IL, CDS, CH and PAN), one more than the PS bank (108) and 13 abstentions (PCP, PEV and unregistered deputy Joacine Katar Moreira). The vote, recalls the note published, took place in the week marked by the fall in VAT on electricity.
