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It is precisely five years ago today that I had the honor of assuming my duties as Prime Minister. During these five years it was possible to turn the page to austerity, to start a process of strong growth, resuming economic convergence with the EU, which we had interrupted at the beginning of the century, with an important dynamics of job creation, with certain accounts ”, he began by saying, recalling that the first budget surplus was reached last year.
“As we all know, this path was dramatically interrupted by this pandemic that affected us in early March. Since March, the country has been fighting, simultaneously facing the pandemic, seeking to ensure the best response conditions for the sick, for those who need care. and they are trying to respond to the economic and social crisis that arose from this pandemic, “said António Costa.
The Prime Minister stressed that “the outlook is obviously very difficult”, but that today marks “a new tool, a new important instrument”, the State Budgets for 2021.
“This Budget reinforces the conditions of our NHS to face the pandemic, to protect families, those who are losing their jobs, those who need more social support, those who deserve and need to see their wage income increased, that they see their pensions strengthened and all those who have reduced the fiscal effort they have endured in terms of IRS or VAT on electricity, “he began listing.
António Costa added that it is a budget that reinforces the conditions “to support companies and employment at this very difficult time that we are all going through.” The Prime Minister recalled, however, that “it is not approval that magically solves all the country’s problems”, although it is “essential” to have “this tool and this instrument that the Assembly approved today.”
Costa also took the opportunity to thank “all those who did not desert in the face of the difficulties of the crisis and, on the contrary, pledged to continue the dialogue with the government”, guaranteeing that the proposals that emerged in the specialty allowed “to improve the proposal” . initially presented, “without sacrificing the need to preserve our international credibility.”
Looking ahead, the Prime Minister also stressed that, once the pandemic phase is over, it is necessary “to return to the path of economic growth, employment and also certain accounts.”
“It is very important to preserve this trustworthy capital, because without trust – whether from the Portuguese or international – it will be even more difficult to face the crisis,” he stressed.
Next, António Costa greeted all the non-registered parties and deputies “who actively collaborated with the Socialist Party in improving the Budget and in its final approval”, also taking the opportunity to lament the attitude of the “parties that defected or did not resist the populist temptation “. adopt measures that may threaten international credibility. “
In this sense, Costa has wanted to leave “a word of confidence.” “We will do everything possible so that those who wanted to play with fire do not burn the country,” he said.
Costa also considered that it was “sad” to see that the Left Bloc “defected” from the political exit to the left “in the first difficulty” and that the Social Democratic leader threw his credibility in terms of tolls “out the window.”
According to the Prime Minister, in the current situation of the country, where “a serious crisis” is going through health, economic and social, “it is very sad to see those like the Left Bloc, which accompanied the Government in the last five years , feel free to defect before the first difficulty. “
“And it is very sad to see that a politician with so many years of experience like Dr. Rui Rio allows himself to throw away the credibility of the statements he made about tolls to vote for a unique and exclusive provision in order to gain fleeting popularity. Now, life in politics is not made for ephemeral popularity, but to fulfill the duty of serving Portugal and the Portuguese ”, he defended.
As for Novo Banco, the Prime Minister attacked the PSD and the Bloco de Esquerda for having canceled the budget transfer to the Resolution Fund, but guaranteed that the Government will comply with the law and respect the contract.
With the Minister of State and Finance, João Leão, and the Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Duarte Cordeiro, by his side, the executive leader declared that he will not be conditioned by this proposal of the Left Bloc, which was supported by the PSD. , to avoid the transfer of 476 million euros to the Resolution Fund, which is intended for Novo Banco.
“I will not be here to discuss legal technicalities and there is only one thing I say: a signed contract is a contract that must be fulfilled, a law that exists is a law that must be respected, and legality will surely be guaranteed in a country that is honored. “. to be a rule of law, “he said.
António Costa said then that Portugal “is not a country in which the Constitution, laws and contracts are destroyed for political expediency.”
“We are a country that has the honor of respecting constitutional democracy, where legality is enforced and contracts are respected. This is how we will do it,” he said.
Still with regard to the approval of OE2021, Costa made it clear that the government does not allow itself to be “scared” by “negative majorities.”
“Nobody thinks that he is going to scare us with negative majorities, majorities that do not converge to do anything, majorities that only converge to try to prevent what we are doing. That, my friends, do not think they will catch us in this,” he said.
According to the prime minister, faced with these political combinations, there is an alternative way: “If there is no dog, there will be a cat, but we will do it.”
“The country would not forgive us if we did not do what we have to do to safeguard the international prestige that the country has recovered, complying with all the commitments,” he declared here, referring to the issue of the contract between the State and the New Bank.
The State Budget for 2021 (OE2021) was approved today, in parliament, only with the favorable votes of the PS, and with the abstention of the PCP, PEV, PAN and the two unregistered deputies.
They voted against the deputies of PSD, BE, CDS, Liberal Initiative and Chega.
The approval of OE2021 comes after a four-day voting marathon on the specialty of the Government’s proposal and about 1,500 proposals for change from the different parties, where several ‘negative coalitions’ were formed.
