The deputy general secretary of the PS, João Torres, accused, this Wednesday, the president of the PSD of prioritizing the electricity market over consumers and considered that the new social democratic leadership is “proudly neoliberal”.
What is absolutely clear is that for the president of the PSD, the interests of the market, particularly in an apparent speculative threat, come before the interests of users, consumers, and this is absolutely unacceptable. It clearly reveals the political and ideological nature of the new leadership of the PSD, which, as we have always said, is of a profoundly neoliberal nature”, defended the deputy general secretary of the PS, João Torres.
In statements to the Lusa agency, the socialist deputy described the new social democratic leadership as “purely and proudly neoliberal”, stressing that the electricity sector is “an essential public service over which providers have, according to the law, special obligations and duties specials”.
For the PS, consumers come first, good management of public affairs also comes first, and it is absolutely illuminating that the Portuguese makes it clear to everyone that Dr. Luís Montenegro would defend the market firmly and without criticism in a context like the one we are going through, and particularly in this last issue that involves one of the companies that supply electricity to users,” he said.
For EP “number 2”, “It is very important that people feel that the State, its authorities, its institutions protect them” in the current context, noting that the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) made it known that “it is naturally aware” of the situation.
The position of the PSD is absolutely illuminating, at PS we understand that we must be very attentive, we must be vigilant, it is a role for each and every one of the consumers but also for the State. And, therefore, we need and it is essential to demonstrate to users that we protect them, that we monitor the evolution of the market, particularly in this sector, and that consumers, users, can also count on the SP to defend them” , he concluded.
The President of the Government determined this Tuesday that the State services cannot pay Endesa’s bills without the prior validation of the Secretary of State for the Environment and Energy, João Galamba, after the company’s president, Nuno Ribeiro da Silva, would have allowed 40% increases in electricity.
António Costa’s order also determines that, in order to avoid service discontinuity, public services and the Public Administration Shared Services Entity (ESPAP) must carry out market consultations, due to the possible need to hire new providers “that maintain practices proper business.”
The same day, in statements to journalists before visiting the Expofacic fair in Cantanhede, the leader of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, defended that the Government took the exercise of power “too far” in the office of the President of the Government about Endesa, considering that the executive is “nervous” in the face of inconvenient situations.
For Luís Montenegro, “it is very rare to see a President of the Government wanting to intervene in matters that are not within his direct competence”, stressing that it is necessary to clarify the evolution of electricity prices.
The PSD requested this Wednesday from the Regulatory Authority for Energy Services (ERSE) a study on how many consumers will be covered by the Iberian mechanism for limiting the price of electricity and what effect it will have on their pockets.
Source: Observadora
