The Portuguese Prime Minister, Luís Montenegrohas not exceeded this Tuesday, as planned, the question of trust he has raised to Parliament, after the suspicions raised by a Conflict of interest In relation to family businesses, thus taking the country to its fourth elections in five and a half years.
Montenegro has seen as the Socialist Party (PS)the ultra -rightist Chegahe Bloco of Esquerdahe Communist Party (PCP), Livre and the animalists of BREAD They have voted against them; While only the deputies of his party, the Democratic Social Party (PSD)he CSD and the liberals They have supported their government.
“We have tried everything”Montenegro has highlighted after the vote, adding that although they have tried “Permanent instability” In the country.
Although on the eve the opposition, especially the PS, had advanced that it would not support the issue of trust, Montenegro has asked the Parliament to vote for “stability” and has proposed several times to suspend the sessionnot the issue of trust, to give more explanations.
“I am available to deepen more in my answers. That is why I have launched the challenge of suspending this debate,” said a montenegro during the session than In recent weeks he managed to overcome two censorship motions without overwhelm presented by the ultra -right of Chega and the Communist Party (PCP).
Montenegro has influenced that “He did not commit any crime” and has been available to Parliament to give “additional explanations”, included in the Investigation Commission that the Parliament can establish. “Who owes nothing, nothing fears and I have my quiet conscience”he said.
Before, Montenegro has defended during the opening of the debate his position of undergoing a matter of trust, “because Only in Portugal can avoid political and institutional degradation that reaches unworthy levels “.
The question of trust responds to a need ” TRUE, transparency, loyalty and to ensure the good functioning of institutions “Montenegro said, which has only had the support of its conservative government partner, the CDs, and the liberals, which between the two barely add ten deputies.
This last political crisis in Portugal arises after in mid -February the media echoed the activities of Spinumvivaa company founded by Montenegro when it was out of politics and now managed by its wife and children, which has been receiving payments from other companiesas SOLVERDEin which the prime minister worked previously.
A last government attempt
The debate, paradoxically, has revolved around the claims of the Socialists to Montenegro to withdraw the issue of trust and submit to the Investigation Commission that prepares, while the government insists that you have to undergo the control of the assembly and ask you to at least refrain.
“I am available to agree with the PS,” Montenegro insisted, who has assured at another time the debate that would withdraw the motion of trust as long as the socialists would say “what information they want.”
“The clarifications must be made in public,” has been the response of the leader of the Socialists, Pedro Nuno Santoswhen the Montenegro party has proposed a meeting behind closed doors to try to reach an agreement, insisting that doubts can only be clarified with a parliamentary investigation commission.
In a last attempt to save the issue of trust, the government has proposed a fifteen -day investigation commission, which has rejected the PS when considering that The deadlines are not the right ones For a “serious scrutiny.”
“The most serious deadline is the one proposed by the PS, which are 90 days. The investigated does not define the terms in which the investigation is made, “said the socialist parliamentary spokeswoman, Alexandra Leitao.
Montenegro’s is the twelfth issue of trust raised to Parliament and The second to be rejectedsince democracy was restored with the 1976 Constitution. The prime minister falls after less than a year at the head of the government. Since 2019, Portugal has not completed any legislature.
The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousahas called a State Council for Thursday. Once dialogue with all parties with parliamentary representation this week, you will have to dissolve the Parliament and Convene early elections for May.
So, The Portuguese will go to the polls for the fourth time in just five and a half years. Montenegro, who won the elections derived from a political crisis still without clarifying and that led to the resignation of António Costa, has already advanced that he will be a candidate again.
