Mariana Piglet: Government is “morally obliged” to descend ISP

ANDin writing. - (PT) Statements to journalists at the entrance to the ‘rentrée’ of the Lisbon Territorial Center of IL, Mariana Leitão argued that “the parties should be focused on putting pressure on the government” to implement the draft resolution (without force of law) submitted by the liberals and approved in May by the Parliament that required, among others, the reduction of the tax on petroleum and energy products (ISP).

“ We cannot continue in a situation where people are being affected day after day, week after week, where almost half of what is their car deposit is taxed, or the other half of the cost is fuel supply. This can't go on. The state now has to make the effort to relieve these people,” he said.

Asked whether the government is not obliged to implement draft resolutions approved by Parliament limits the action of the parties, Mariana Leitão replied that the executive, although this is not a legal obligation, “morally is obliged” to comply with the recommendation and lower taxes on fuels.

The leader of the liberals recalled that the country today had truck drivers manifest themselves on the price of fuel and that “several families are deeply affected” by the rising cost of living.

“ Morally, the government should put its hands on conscience, understand what it is doing to people, the suffering that is being caused to people and do their part,” he stressed, asking the executive for action “for once in a lifetime” instead of “arguing that it is not paying for the crisis”.

Mariana Leitão also criticised what she considers a “patternalist” stance by the government when asking to save fuel, raising doubts as to whether a reservation problem is at stake in the country.

The leader of the liberals said that the IL parliamentary group sent on Thursday a set of “very detailed” questions to the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, about the situation of Portugal’s fuel reserves.

The IL sent nine questions in which it asks for clarification on the Portuguese security reserves in France, how these reserves will be mobilized in an emergency situation, whether or not there is a risk of cracking of reserves and questions whether reserves were acquired with crude oil typologies that cannot be processed by the refining capacity available in Portugal.

Asked about the statements by the PSD spokesman Sebastião Bugalho, who this week considered it more important to change the electoral law than to proceed with a constitutional review, Mariana Leitão refused to speculate on a possible retreat of the Social Democrats in this matter and recalled that the PSD voted against previous liberal proposals to change the electoral law.

The president of the IL recalled that the constitutional review continues “on the table for December”, following the understanding between PSD and Enough that it led to the process not advance earlier, and it did not advance if the party will force this process if there is no progress from the major parties.

He stressed, however, that constitutional review requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority and that the party will always oppose setbacks in the defence of rights, freedoms and guarantees.

[News updated at 9:10 p.m.]