Government allegedly uses public funds for political campaigning, as claimed by Pedro Nuno
In a fiery lunch rally, Pedro Nuno Santos, socialist leader, had some harsh words for the AD Government. He accused them of using public money and resources for campaigning, citing the "São Bento in Family" event as an example. This event, initially planned as celebratory moments for April 25th at the Prime Minister's official residence, was postponed due to Pope Francis' death.
Santos was particularly critical of Luis Montenegro, who was seen "singing with Tony Carreira" during the event, which he compared to the television program "Conversas em Familia," broadcast during the Estado Novo. He went on to say that AD has no respect for April 25th and that the Government lacks seriousness and has no shame in relating to the people.
Santos pointed to various examples of the Government's lack of seriousness, such as the announcement of the reduction of IRS at the start of the legislature and the change to the retention tables of that tax. He also classified Luis Montenegro as the "principal factor of political instability" due to cases that "personally involve" the Prime Minister.
Santos emphasized the importance of "governing for all" and reducing taxes for all families, not just a minority. He also highlighted the need to focus fiscal efforts on reducing VAT on food to zero and the revision of the Regional Finances Law and Public Service Obligations, as well as the creation of a strategy to combat dependencies.
In the Azores, Santos defended the creation of a maritime policy with the Azores and the Azoreans. Meanwhile, Francisco César, leader of the PS/Açores and head of the list in the archipelago, appealed for a useful vote without beating around the bush. He warned that voting for parties other than the PS could lead to the election of Chega.
It's worth noting that in the 2024 elections, the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition won in the Azores, with a significant portion of votes, while the PS followed closely behind with a similar number of deputies, and Chega received a smaller number of votes.
Recent developments in Portugal's political context involve snap elections, heightened misinformation concerns, and significant government spending announcements. While there's no direct evidence of the AD coalition using public funds for campaigning, recent developments such as the €10 billion competitiveness package and the €2.5 million contribution to Gavi could indirectly benefit the coalition’s campaign narrative.
Political analysts suggest that the timing and framing of these announcements could blur lines between governance and campaign messaging, especially with a rapid-response misinformation unit actively monitoring election-related claims. However, more information would be necessary to assess compliance with campaign finance safeguards.
- Santos criticized the AD Government for using public money and resources for political campaigning, citing the "São Bento in Family" event as an example.
- Santos emphasized the importance of governing for all and reducing taxes for all families, not just a minority.
- The political analysts suggested that the timing and framing of recent government spending announcements could blur lines between governance and campaign messaging.
- In the Azores, Marcelo Santos, leader of the PS/Açores, defended the creation of a maritime policy with the Azores and the Azoreans.
