Proof of life, messages from Pedro Nuno, and the fight against corruption. Speech by Luís Montenegro.

Hier ist der Text:

It is a great honour and responsibility for me to be appointed Prime Minister. The March 10 elections showed the will of the Portuguese people to participate and change politics. Our goal is to respect and implement these changes. Today, all politicians must demonstrate their maturity and degree of commitment to the will of the Portuguese people.

Elections and the political situation

In the last parliamentary elections, Luis Montenegro fell short of victory on the tail end of a landslide. However, there is an undeniable fact that the voters clearly expressed their desire for change - the PS in power lost almost half a million votes in two years and posted its worst result since 1987; and the political scales tilted unalterably to the right. Another undeniable fact is that with the refusal to support André Ventura and with Pedro Nuno Santos refusing to act as insurance for the SDS, Montenegro is left to ask for “maturity” from all those affected so that they do not rush the country into a new political crisis. After two legislative breaks in two years, at a time when we have two hotbeds of war nearby, at a time of execution of the largest investment plan since joining the European Union, at a time of high levels of poverty in almost half of the population and at a time when the state does not adequately respond to citizens in accessing necessary goods such as health, education or housing, it would be unforgivable if politics becomes a wrong aggressive solution rather than a solution for a multitude of problems.

Aims and purposes of the government

Here the Social Democrat once again addresses the responsibility of all. But with a nuance. In addition to recalling the international context (the war in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) and the need not to miss the unique opportunity to use European funds, Montenegro suggests, between the lines, that the PS has already twice caused political crises (2021 and 2023) and that it was its ineffectiveness that led to the bankruptcy of the welfare state. Thus, Montenegro argues, it would be unacceptable for the PS to prevent the SDS from solving the problems it helped create.

This government is here to manage four and a half years of legislation. We are not interested in semantic games or fruitless political exercises. If this government, as I hope and know the Portuguese wish, receives its parliamentary investment and accepts the fullness of its powers, it will begin now to design and implement structural reforms that will transform the country and place it on a path of prosperity, modernity, well-being, economic, environmental and social sustainability. This government is not here to simply serve out its term, and we would not undertake that mission for that purpose.

Government priorities

• Reduction of personal income tax, especially for the middle class and young people
• Reduction of corporate tax from 21% to 15% in three years
• Tax exemption on the purchase of a firsthouses
• Emergency Medical Services Program
• Investments in education and human capital
• Policies that remove major obstacles to fertility
• Strengthening security, including cybersecurity
• Speeding up procedures in the justice sector

Anti-corruption and other areas

The first is the fight against corruption. This fight must be national. It must unite everyone. The government, as is clear from the electoral program approved by the Portuguese, has ambitious and innovative proposals in this regard. But it is important to recognize that there are proposals presented by various parliamentary parties that also deserve to be studied, debated and taken into account. No one has a monopoly on the best solutions. Everyone's contribution is essential. In that sense, I would like to say today that I will invite all parties with parliamentary mandates to engage in a dialog with a view to developing an ambitious