This Friday, the PS accused the PSD of “little charity and paternalism” by proposing a food coupon for retirees and pensioners with fewer resources, criticizing the changes introduced in the Social Democrats’ social emergency program less than a month after its presentation. .
In statements to the Lusa agency, the parliamentary leader of the PS, Eurico Brilhante Dias, reacted to the social emergency program of the PSD presented this Friday by Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, for an amount of 1,500 million euros, which represented an increase compared to the initial amount indicated. by the president of the Social Democrats, Luís Montenegro (one billion euros).
After being announced by Montenegro for the first time at the Festa do Pontal, in Faro, in mid-August, Brilhante Dias stressed that “the social emergency program of the PPD-PSD did not last even 20 days.”
After the PPD-PSD continuously criticized the government for not presenting a complete package and progressively presenting measures in different areas, the PSD today presents a few more measures, changes the value and therefore ends up being a victim. of their own criticism, without realizing that those who govern with a high degree of uncertainty, after a pandemic, with a war, often have circumstances in which they need to progressively adapt the instruments,” he maintained.
The socialist leader also criticized one of the proposals of the social democrats, which consists of a food bonus for retirees and pensioners with fewer resources: “it is very different to present a social benefit, which is an income for families, than to present a bonus food”.
“A food voucher is wanting to guide the poorest, typifying the type of consumption they can make, and we do not subscribe to that. It is a kind of small charity that goes against the idea of social solidarity that we have, ”she stressed.
In the opinion of Brilhante Dias, the Portuguese “have a head, they are autonomous, independent and in a free society, based on disposable income, they make their choices.”
“The idea of a food stamp is an outdated idea, of a paternalism towards the Portuguese that a citizen of legal age cannot admit, much less a progressive party like the PS I cannot accept this paternalism,” he added.
Asked about one of the measures defended this Thursday by the PSD to reduce energy VAT to the minimum rate (6%), and the criticism launched by the ‘orange’ bench that this measure only depends on the will of the Government, Brilhante Dias said that “the government has been fighting in Brussels, in the European Union, for measures to support the Portuguese”, citing the Iberian mechanism and the negotiation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) as examples.
The government will present the package on 5 [de setembro] and at that time he will present this set of measures that will have an impact on the lives of the Portuguese, and the important thing is that we all contribute with our proposals for this improvement in the lives of the Portuguese”, he said.
Asked whether or not the PS agrees with this reduction of VAT on energy at the minimum rate, the parliamentary leader of the socialists did not commentlimiting himself to saying that “the specific measures that are essentially of a fiscal nature are the responsibility of the government”, he referred once again to the measures that the government will present on Monday.
Source: Observadora
