SIC’s political commentator, Marques Mendes, has no doubts that the mistakes that have marked António Costa’s agenda in recent weeks reveal “signs that we are at the beginning of the end of a political cycle”.
Asked how a politician as experienced as António Costa makes so many mistakes, Marques Mendes started by saying that the Prime Minister, since “he came on vacation, only bought wars”, referring to the issue related to doctors and the support to Luís Filipe Vieira, among others. For Marques Mendes, António Costa shows signs of “tiredness, exhaustion and lack of patience” that later show signs of “intolerance” and some form of “impunity” – and if António Costa does not change, then it will increase “wear and tear” degradation”. Marques Mendes considers that the Prime Minister is “stressed and disturbed”.
Regarding the State Budget, Marques Mendes says that “it will still pass, probably with the support of the Left Block”, but warns that BE “will not dispense with labor laws”.
Two renovations in one week
Regarding the controversial support for Luís Filipe Vieira, the political commentator recalls what he had already said last week – that the prime minister would regret it, and confirms it, even though he says ironically that this week has seen two renovations. “We had two renovations, that of Luís Filipe Vieira, who removed Costa from his honor commission, and Costa’s mini-remodeling in the Government”.
One thing is certain for Marques Mendes: “The prime minister is not going to get involved in another”, recalling that Costa “was never as criticized as this week” by several fronts, including socialists. And it seemed that the fact that Costa was until the last without withdrawing support from Luís Filipe Vieira and it was this that ended up driving him out, “even on the edge”. That is, before the conversation with the President of the Republic, but more importantly “before the prosecution of Luís Filipe Vieira in the LEX case”. Marques Mendes even says that “all that was combined”. And that it would have been “a national shame if Luís Filipe Vieira did not remove him from the honor committee”, even in international terms. And he concludes by saying that “António Costa is a very skilled person, but his ability has limits”.
Anyway, “there is still a stain here” on Costa’s path. “It was good that most politicians, but also magistrates, while exercising functions do not connect to football”, he recommends.
More and less signs in Justice
As to the question of how justice looks in the eyes of the Portuguese after three judges have been accused of crimes, Marques Mendes gives a negative note immediately: “The image of three judges accused of corruption is terrible”, also because in Portugal “we have the tendency to generalize this is not fair “, adding that not all judges prevaricate.
The positive sign, he stresses, “is to have this investigation” and the fact that justice “has not been pretending”, he says. “Justice is not there to cover up one another.” However, it also says, almost as a preventive recommendation, that “judges have to submit income statements like politicians”.
Second wave of the pandemic?
The September numbers cannot be clearer and according to what the experts, and Marques Mendes agrees, “we are already in the 2nd pandemic wave or very close to it”. In a monthly comparison since the pandemic began to show its first signs, “the month of September, which has not yet come to an end, is worse than the month of April, which has been the worst month so far”, says Marques Mendes.
Although the number of infected people is growing again, Marques Mendes considers that Portugal “has an advantage in the field of health – we are better prepared”. But he says that “wearing masks on the street was important”, or “an explanation” about their advantages or disadvantages.
And he leaves a note on how the authorities report cases on a daily basis: “It was time to change that conference that they do institutionally and bring doctors and specialists there” to make them not only less institutional but to hear those on the ground.
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