“It is within our reach to exploit a comparative advantage very rare in Europe and in the democratic world called political stability, in addition to a singleparty government with an absolute majority, but, for that very reason, with an absolute majority Responsibility. Stability that only he the government and his majority can weaken or weaken, whether due to organizational failures, or lack of coordination, or internal fragmentation, or inaction, or lack of transparency, or lack of realism,” he stresses. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The President is confident the country can win another battle with a 2023 that analysts are calling critical and which he himself says will be crucial through the end of the decade. “It is within our reach at this time of war and instability elsewhere to take advantage of the privileged situation of peace and security, attracting tourism, foreign investment and the location of skilled human resources. It is in our power to take advantage of European funds that are nonrepeatable and have a welldefined maturity.”
“Now all of this is within our reach. And I never tire of insisting that it would be unforgivable for us to put it to flight,” warns Marcelo.
The President of the Republic begins his message to the Portuguese by warning that this year, which has just begun, is crucial for the next four or even eight years, the period of one or two reigns.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa begins by warning that external circumstances beyond the Portuguese’s direct control make 2022 not the turning point he expected after the lockdown imposed on the country, Europe and the world, but a year in which there was more uncertainty. Added to this were the war in Ukraine and the economic derailment with inflation that was difficult to contain.
“A year ago, the pandemic appeared to be becoming endemic. A year ago, diplomacy seemed to be winning the war. A year ago, despite these uncertainties, it was believed that the world and Europe would recover economically, normalize international trade, control rising prices, ease inequalities and continue what was halted in 2020 and 2021.”
Internally, Marcelo says it was expected that “the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan), plus Portugal 2030, plus Portugal 2020, ie European funds, in addition to tourism and foreign investment, would already be on the rise, 2022 is the year of Wende,” but recalls that the expectations were driven by a war and a pandemic that haven’t entirely gone away.
“A year later we know that world growth was nonexistent or insignificant, international trade has not returned to normal, prices have skyrocketed, poverty and inequalities of war have added to the poverty and inequality of the pandemic “, he emphasizes. . .
Added to these concerns, cited by the President of the Republic, is the outbreak of a military conflict in Europe that has not been seen for decades: “One year later, we know that Europe has been forced to deal longer with the war and with the dependence on responsiveness, on energy and Inflation, than with European funds how to use and control them with the growth of economies, with their internal reforms, with their global role in the world”.
However, Marcelo does not fail to emphasize that Portugal enjoys an unusual situation in Europe, namely the political stability made possible by an absolute majority government. But the emphasis serves to add a warning: the country cannot see this wasted capital, and this is a “stability that only it the government and its majority can weaken or drain, either through organic failure or lack of coordination, either.” by internal fragmentation, or by inaction, or by lack of transparency, or by detachment from reality”.
Ahead of us, he recalls, are “the rise in prices, the fall in income, the fall in real wages, in housing rates, the worsening of poverty and social inequalities”. Perils that can multiply in a war scenario, the duration of which is unknown, and costs of which it is not known whether “they will decrease or increase”.
In this chapter Marcelo also leaves the sign that he does not intend, as he has already said, to use the atomic bomb of the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic in the near future, when he mentions that 2023 “will be the only year, until 2026, without national ones elections or elections of nationals”. However, he warns against the need for absolute responsibility with an absolute majority.