New government leaves admiral waiting

Ten days after the elections, on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic, the expected official decision, « , in view of the results of the elections for the Assembly of the Republic, hearing the political parties represented therein, in the constitutional terms, and ensuring the parliamentary viability of the new executive, the President of the Republic indicated the DR, Luís Montenegro as Prime Minister of the XXV Constitutional Government. »

Over the past few days Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has been dropping in the press the conditions he considered indispensable for, for the last time as a head of state, to indignate the prime minister. The president even talked about written commitments ensuring the viability of the government, but, after the second round of conversations with the three largest political forces, the verbal guarantee has come.

Everything happened the same afternoon as the presentation of Gouveia and Melo was announced as a candidate for Marcelo’s succession. Despite being received at 5 pm, at an audience that lasted only 20 minutes and the statement of the nomination came a few minutes later, with the consequent return from Montenegro to Belém, the truth is that after 19h (time scheduled for the advertisement of Admiral), Luís Montenegro had not yet appeared in the Bicas Room to speak to journalists. Result: At Alcântara Maritime Gare, the guests were waiting to hear the words of Gouveia and Melo, who did not want to risk being interrupted by Montenegro. Coincidence? Knowing Marcelo and Montenegro, is to doubt.

Carlos César’s guarantees
Any concern that still remains to the president, as to what to do after counting the votes, disappeared when the interim president of the socialists arrived in Bethlehem to say that the « normal » will be that Luís Montenegro be nominated and the PS, confirms, will not approve of any initiative that « obesh » to this.

Caesar made a point of stressing that the position of the socialists does not mean that « subscribes » the government program, but that the PS « subscribes to the understanding of the Portuguese. »

Regarding the times that are seen, Caesar says that the PS should focus on the municipalities to have a victory that « reaffirms » socialists as an alternative to AD, and also to make a « serious reflection » on electoral failures and these results. The next leader, he suggests, must be the « engine » of this reflection that should not lead the PS to « approach the right », nor to « shit left to distance himself », but to approach the « desires of the Portuguese ».

At the end of the audience in Belém Carlos César, he also confirmed that he already has an idea to solve the problem of parliamentary leadership (as we wrote in p. 17), as Alexandra Leitão, who will be a candidate for Lisbon, will not take office as a deputy and there will only be a new PS leader at the end of June. The interim president of the PS refused, however to reveal the chosen name. But he doesn’t want to advance names before speaking to the parliamentary group.

Ventura does not promise to facilitate
Quite different was the position assumed by the Leader of the arrival after the meeting with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

« We made it clear to PR what we had already guaranteed to the country: the arrival was mandated to be the opposition leader and will perform these duties responsibly, trying to ensure that there is a majority ready to govern when this situation is placed. »

Reinforced by the confirmation of a voting reinforcement, also in the circles of emigration, Ventura marked in Belém his lines for the next legislature. It has ensured that the arrival will not enable PCP’s rejection motion to the government program. « We will not allow irresponsible and unrealistic solutions to create a new political crisis at a time when the Portuguese want stability and a government and an operational parliament. »

« Don’t expect white letters from us and be the PS mirror, » he warns. «This is really a different party, with a different attitude.

Aware that since May 18th, it is the pivot of national political life, Ventura has resorted to an expression that António Costa immortalized to say how he will exercise « get used to, there will be scrutiny seriously. We will not leave a millimeter of corruption for investigating ».
Ventura says that the « no no » of Montenegro no longer puts itself, because there are no longer governability issues and the Portuguese have chosen the arrival « as the opposition leader. » « It is not good to be forming and distributing places, » he says, referring to PSD and PS.

« The arrival has to be prepared at any time to be government, which means being an alternative, » he said.

For now it will let the new legislature start without startle, unlike in 2024, when it made the election of the President of the Assembly of the Republic unfeasible. This time, Ventura says he knows that there are conversations between parliamentary benches and that arrives is having a « constructive perspective » and « it is not impossible » to reach a wide understanding of representative places in the air.
Once entry into functions, doubts persist about the course of the legislature. The arrival leader does not abdicate his role, as the main opposition party, ‘when a country elects an opposition leader does not elect it to be a government crutch. You can’t be fish and meat at the same time. The country has to have a clear alternative to the AD government because it may have elections, ”says Ventura, in a statement similar to what a year ago Pedro Nuno Santos said, justifying his unavailability for understanding with Montenegro, who later eventually did. Is it going to do the same? It won’t be easy, because Ventura is growing. This time it is Montenegro who wants to escape elections.

Another topic that the arrival leader has left open and can dictate the future of national political life, is the decision on whether or not to move forward with an inquiry commission to the Spinumviva case. Ventura says he is waiting for the clarifications that will be given to the prosecutor and then make a decision. In this case, it comes to « evaluate » if it advances with a CPI, which « does not put aside ». « If you have to move forward, you will advance without any fear, as we did with the case of the twins, » he recalled. As showed in the first speeches after the elections, Ventura already has the way well defined for the coming months.