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Portugal “runs a great risk” of becoming the “red beacon”, in terms of economic development, among European countries. The alert is Aníbal Cavaco Silva, former prime minister and former president of the Republic who, in an interview with the newspaper Sol, refuses to make assessments of the current governance – due to the pandemic – but leaves strong criticism of the previous legislature, in which the PS failed with “Joint positions” Signed with BE, PCP and Greens. “The values of the social democracy were applied very little or almost nothing,” he accuses.
An example of the negligence that Cavaco Silva saw in this governance, in relation to such values of social democracy ”, is the investment in Health – or the supposed lack of it. “In the case of Health, for example, one of the fundamental principles of social democracy is to place the interests of users at the center of health policy, ensuring quality services. In the four years of government of the ‘gadget’, this did not happen: the lack of financing, the reduction to 35 hours … ”, criticizes.
“If a government has the opportunity” to better apply these values, says the former president, then “we could get closer to the European average income more quickly.” Which would be important because “Portugal is currently running a great risk: if things do not change soon, the red lantern in terms of the development of the euro zone countries.”
Who is still behind us? Latvia, which is currently growing faster than Portugal. Greece, recovering from its situation. Slovenia, Slovakia, Malta, Estonia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic are ahead of us. As a Portuguese, I would be very sad to see Portugal as the red lantern of Europe, ”says Cavaco Silva.
It is a situation that places “a great responsibility on today’s governments and on today’s politicians in general, including the opposition.” Cavaco Silva refers to a study of the
Portugal published late last year, stating that revenue per capita According to purchasing power parity in 2018, compared to the European average, “it was lower than what [Cavaco] I left in 1995, when I finished my duties as Prime Minister ”. “It is not me who says it … It is the Bank of Portugal,” he concludes.
In addition to what he considers a poor economic performance, compared to other countries, Cavaco says that what most “impresses” him today is “the aggressiveness in the language of politicians.” “My relations with opposition politicians, from the Communist Party to the CDS, have always been cordial. Today there are too many insults in politics, too much disrespect. And that keeps voters away, especially young people, who don’t see it ”, he laments.
I am very surprised that insult has become so common in political struggle, and I participated in many, as you know. But I never looked at an opponent as an enemy. I never heard insults, I never insulted anyone. Now it is common, ”he adds.
In particular, Cavaco Silva says that in his time “we were not, a year after coming to the government, to blame previous governments.” “Today, five years later, I see them blaming Dr. Passos Coelho, who, in addition to that, did a very worthy job and brought Portugal out of bankruptcy,” says Cavaco Silva.
