The National Police Union (Sinapol) called this Thursday, December 4, for the resignation of the Minister of Internal Administration, considering that Maria Lúcia Amaral is “incapable of ensuring the stability” of the police, and warned of “massive protests” like those in 2024.
“The only way to avoid a repeat of massive protests across the country is to dismiss the current minister and appoint a new political leader to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as it has become clear to the police profession that the current Minister of Internal Affairs does not meet the necessary political or institutional conditions to continue to oversee the security forces portfolio”says the union, in a statement.
Maria Lúcia Amaral’s resignation comes after Sinapol held a general meeting this Thursday morning, in which the proposals presented by the Minister of Internal Administration last week to the PSP unions and GNR associations were also rejected.
Sinapol considers that the proposals and order of priorities announced by the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) “are marked by successive dilatory vicissitudes, revealing a lack of real commitment to resolve the biggest and most urgent problem affecting” PSP police officers: the need for “immediate professional and salary development”, which “can only be achieved through the urgent review of the PSP Professional Statute”.
“If the Government does not immediately review the negotiating priorities relating to the public security sector, protests of the same or even greater size than those that occurred between November 2023 and March 2024 could be quickly replicated”, warns the union, which in July 2024 did not sign the agreement with the Government on the increase in the risk subsidy.
In the statement, Sinapol highlights that the Prime Minister now has to choose between dismissing the Minister of Internal Administration or “maintaining a weakened minister, without political weight and clearly incapable of ensuring the stability and motivation of the security forces” and “incapable of negotiating with the unions”, risking “a scenario of strong public protest, demonstrations and “surgical protests” by the police.
Sinapol also reaffirms its full availability for “serious, transparent and immediate negotiations with the Government”:
The Police Professionals Union Association (ASPP/PSP) also announced on Wednesday that it will hold a rally near the Prime Minister’s residence on the day of the general strike and plenary meetings at airports on December 18, admitting more protests in January if the Government “changes nothing”.
As part of the ongoing negotiations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has scheduled a new meeting with the police unions for December 12th and the ASPP has already indicated that it will not be present as it has abandoned the negotiations.
At last Friday’s meeting, the Minister of Internal Administration presented an initial negotiation proposal to the PSP unions, which includes changes to paid services, and also made it known that the special service supplement, intended for police officers working in criminal investigation and in the Special Police Unit, will be increased by 2.15% in January 2026.
The GNR associations were also disappointed in this meeting and admitted protests.