Africa-Press – Cape verde. The 2nd day of the PS Congress, this Sunday, was marked by harsh words about Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s decision to dissolve the Assembly of the Republic. Augusto Santos Silva spoke of a path that was unfairly interrupted, for Carlos César the president did not do what was politically due and the historic Manuel Alegre insisted that the AR could be dissolved, but not the Socialist Party. But Pedro Nuno Santos avoided criticizing the head of state.
The poet and politician, two-time presidential candidate, stated that the socialists were interrupted “against their will”. But he called
for unity because “the Assembly of the Republic can be dissolved” but the party “is not dissolved”.
In this context, Manuel Alegre referred to the thesis according to which, “if civilizations die, democracies can also die”, which is why the PS must present measures that “satisfy the expectations of the Portuguese”.
Former general secretary Francisco Assis took to the FIL pulpit to warn about the harmful consequences of a possible rupture between the middle class (the bulk of taxpayers) and the welfare state. He called for changes in areas such as the National Health Service (SNS) or education – a sector in which “it is important to respond to teachers’ concerns”.
“Since Aristotle we have known that the middle classes are vital for the affirmation of democracy, but we have also known since the affirmation of fascism that the middle classes, when they give up, are the main gravediggers of democracies”, he declared.
The warning followed: “On the day that the Portuguese middle class stops sending their children to public school, or stops using the SNS or State services in the most diverse areas; on the day that the Portuguese middle class comes to the conclusion that there is a rupture between its contributory effort and its social benefits, then on that day the welfare state will enter a terminal crisis”.
António Costa passes the testimony to Pedro Nuno Santos
The 24th PS Congress began with António Costa who spoke at the opening on Friday, 5th.
The new leader, Pedro Nuno Santos, highlighted in his first speech as secretary general that “in the face of the turmoil on the right, the PS is the only force that guarantees stability”.
For More News And Analysis About Cape verde Follow Africa-Press
