Left accuses Montenegro of “arrogance” and alert to “empty dialogue”

Livre, BE and PAN today regretted that the Prime Minister did not make self-criticism or apologize for the police charges to protesters for housing, while the CFP warned of the risk of an “empty dialogue” on this matter.

In statements to journalists in the Assembly of the Republic, after communicating to the country of the Prime Minister, the spokesman for Free Isabel Mendes Lopes lamented that Luís Montenegro did not announce a retreat in the amendments to the rental law or apologize to the protesters for the police's actions in the protests of recent weeks.

“ Neither of these things Louis Montenegro said to the country and, therefore, this leaves us very uneasy about the right to housing and the way the demonstrations will continue to be viewed by the government,” he warned.

About the fact that the chief executive announced that he will meet with the leaders of the Aquira and the PS, and arrange meetings with the other parties through ministers, the Free spokesman regretted this option.

“ It differentiates parties in the Assembly of the Republic again when what is needed is a broad consensus and we find a common basis. And this is done with the spectrum of parliament and not just with two opposition parties”, he criticized.

By the PCP, the leader Bruno Dias accused the Prime Minister of “scramming responsibilities” and of wanting to “impose a policy of repression and violence” to “dive attention and pave the way for the attack on the right to demonstration”.

Asked about Montenegro’s opening up to discuss proposals with other political forces, the former PCP deputy considered that “the problem is that the dialogue between speculation and the right to housing is an empty dialogue”.

“If the opening to dialogue were genuine, the policies that brought us here would not be being aggravated as they are. If we had an opening to dialogue that was genuine, we would not have repression and violence and the wounded and people arrested as a response from the government to the demands of people for another policy. And therefore the dialogue and consensus between speculation and the right to housing is a fantasy that will certainly not last long”, he said.

The MP of the Left Block, Fabian Figueiredo, considered that “a humble Prime Minister was waiting today, who had realized the message that thousands of Portuguese have been passing on to him over the last few weeks”.

“ A message that it was necessary to reverse the direction of the government’s housing policies, but none of this has happened, nor will it happen in Central Block negotiations or with the extreme right,” he said.

The deputy of BE challenged the Prime Minister to put aside “the arrogance with which he is filled and closed in his palace and listen to Portuguese and Portuguese”.

“ Today, we should have heard the Prime Minister say he was withdrawing the law from evictions. And I should have apologized for having to beat up the young people who peacefully protested in Porto and Lisbon. The only import of violence that existed in Portugal was the Prime Minister when he decided to repress, in the margins of the law, the rule of law and the rules of democracy”, he said.

In the face of journalists, the PAN Member, Inês de Sousa Real, considered it incomprehensible that the Prime Minister invites to dialogue on housing “the political forces that are so critical”, the Aquira and the PS.

“The Aquira was the one who made the income law possible, together with PSD and the CDS, being also responsible for pushing the population to the demonstrations. On the other hand, he invited the PS – a party that the Prime Minister takes refuge to say is the great responsible for the housing crisis. One thing is certain, the Prime Minister has to get used to and know how to recognize that the Portuguese people wanted a plural parliament,” he said.

PAN spokesperson greeted the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, for having succeeded in causing Luís Montenegro to break his silence.

“Luís Montenegro was trapped by popular will and a court decision. It is regrettable not to have an excuse for protesters and willingness to dialogue,” he added.