The presidential candidates were challenged this Friday, December 26th, to comment on Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s Christmas message, in which he argued that Portugal is experiencing a turning point in which it has to exchange the “mentality of letting go” for one of overcoming, pointing to footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as an example of the spirit of affirmation through excellence.
António Filipe was, for now, the only critic when he stated that the Portuguese “do not need motivational speeches” but rather a general increase in wages that helps to “mitigate an unacceptable inequality in the distribution of income”.
For António Filipe, who visited the operational park of the Municipality of Sesimbra, in the district of Setúbal, to contact waste collection workers, the issue does not center on the mentality of the Portuguese, but rather on the need to be valued through public policies.
“I don’t think it’s a question of mentality, because I think the mentality the Portuguese people have, and they don’t need these motivational speeches, they don’t, they needed to be valued, in other words, there needed to be, in fact, public policies aimed at, from the outset, significantly valuing the minimum wage, but which translates into a general increase in wages, not just having more workers earning the minimum wage”, he stressed.
Gouveia e Melo: “A good message, but…”
In Madeira, where he is campaigning for elections, Henrique Gouveia e Melo considered it to have been “a good Christmas message” from the Prime Minister, as he believes that “everyone should have a positive mind” and “look at the future in a positive way”.
The admiral also left a warning to the Government in case he is elected President of the Republic, as he guarantees that he will “put constant pressure on good governance” and, in this sense, “he will not be doing favors for anyone”.
João Cotrim Figueiredo: “Governors have an obligation to be courageous”
In turn, João Cotrim Figueiredo considered the prime minister’s Christmas message timely but warned that the reformist capacity must be independent of electoral moments.
“It is important that politicians have the courage that the Prime Minister asked for now, but always, not just when there is a horizon with no elections in sight. Even when there is a risk of losing electoral support, governments have an obligation to be courageous and make the reforms that the country needs, even when this may be misunderstood by the population immediately”, he stressed.
The presidential candidate, who was speaking on the sidelines of a campaign event in Bragança, considered that Luís Montenegro’s messages “are important” and timely but, he stressed, “it is always necessary to improve and progress regardless of what this may represent in electoral terms”.
“I think the prime minister’s role is also to inspire people, it is also to mobilize”, he stated, considering, however, that the “reformist” vision for the country must exist regardless of elections.