« Politics is to serve the country, not to serve the parties »

Portugal will enter stand by and the business confederations heard by the Sunrise They blame the parties for the political crisis that will lead the country to early elections. «There are several subjects that will be stopped, many of them with a very great sense of urgency ». The Plan of Recovery and Resilience (PRR) is one of them but not only. «The Law of Immigration was to be resolved now and it will not be» And to this add up to other measures related to the increase in wages that will also be compromised, such as the tripartite agreement of the minimum wage and the increase in income.

The 'boss of the bosses' admits that the situation could be managed if, after the elections, two months later we had a governing solution, since, he understands, there are other countries that expect more time to find this stability. A reality that is not verified in the national scenario. «We have problems that other countries do not have. One is our ability to understand that is worse than in any other country. Recently, in Germany, two parties that are traditionally government leaders, I am talking about CDU and SPD-the equivalent of the PS and PSD here of the site, ie alternate in power-have been covered to form a government. In Portugal we have the idea that this cannot happen because we have this divisionist attitude and not to focus essentially ». And adds: « Germany, which is only the largest economy in Europe, is essentially united and will make a coalition government, which worries me is not just this traditional habit of not making bridges, but the fact that dialogue between major political forces is closer than ever, in question understanding the essentials for the Portuguese ».

For Armindo Monteiro, « We are facing a tacticism of the most elementary, the saddest that there is a party tacticism, it is not a tacticism of policies» and recognizes that « I could still understand a great discussion between political projects, between views for society, but for ideological reasons, for vision reasons, for strategy reasons, which is not now clear. ». And questions: «What kind of rupture are we talking about? What is the strategic vision that one defends and that the other defends?

Faced with this scenario, the president of CIP does not hesitate: «This is mediocre. It is a sadness, because projects or fracturing visions for society are at stake. Partidal political tactics are at stake, which is worse. Politics is to serve the country, not to serve the parties. Parties cannot use the country only for electoral calculism, they cannot lie down a country for electoral calcul. The country deserves more than that ».

And he recalls that the risks that Portugal faces are different from the fall of the socialist government. “A government has fallen just over a year ago, but now it is more serious because the international dangers cannot be ignored. This is a serious drama. I am not overdoing the words. A year ago we took an absolute majority government below. Now we have given a government below when we have added risks »says.

Armindo Monteiro also says that companies do not go to elections. “The more than 5.3 million workers in Portugal are very apprehensive about what 230 representatives of the nation are doing because this whole situation drags everything. There are measures that you need to perform, which you need to put into action and there is no time. There is not time not only to develop the country, but especially to not let it impose it anymore »concludes.

Uncertainty Balada Accounts

The same concern is shared by the Portugal Business Association (AEP) by facing with concern the consequences of the current political situation, to which all the instability and uncertainty we live in international level is gathered. «The early elections planned in May add to the scenario of uncertainty, already warned by AEP as pejorative for companies and the Portuguese economy»says Luís Miguel Ribeiro.

“The need to resort to elections after a year of government is not beneficial and is not a decision that should be made with lightness. We are in a scenario where successive political crises-three legislative elections in three years-may affect the country's credibility, with consequences in the ability to attract foreign investment and the growth of the Portuguese economy »arguing that the priority, either from the government in management and all those responsible politicians, should be prioritizing the main projects that ensure the country's growth, namely, the swift implementation of European funds. «The main impacts on the economy and activity of companies are diverse and in various areas: delay in the execution of European funds; Investor distrust in the face of political instability – with impact on investments in national territory – risk of increased interest on Portuguese public debt that penalizes the state's expense, public administration in stand by And delays in projects, such as high speed, negotiations are complex and are still underway and the revision of the labor law may be at stake »stresses.

Before a new electoral act, the official appeals to «For a new national political context of greater unanimity and capable of bringing the reforms that the country needs so much».

'Bad for the country and for democracy'

Also the Minho Business Association asked politicians for responsibilities and has given a red card to all responsible. “The parts that tried to use these absolutely derisive episodes were bad to divert the intentions of other more serious episodes that eventually occurred in their political sphere. There were poorly the parties of the Arch of Governability, because they entered the game and, instead of being the first to defend and maintain the elevation of the Assembly of the Republic and the focus on what really matters to the country, entered the circus that was created here »stresses

And adds: «Portugal is giving a bad image to the world. No one believes in a country where institutions are subject to this level of instability and episodes. It seems that we are simply to be guided and led by the interests of the parties. This is bad for the country and is bad for democracy. It will not take long so that if we persist in denigrating, in mocking everything that is the positive heritage of the democratic system, people begin not to believe in the system. And there is nothing worse in politics and democracy than popular discredit in relation to the system itself »says Ramiro Brito.