Tuesday, 3 November 2015

A sinister danger threatening Portugal's stability and its political and social future

Arménio Carlos, secretary-general of the Communist Trade Union,
CGTP

There is something sinister hanging in the air in Portugal 
and a real danger facing the country's future 
and its political and social stability.

Henrique Monteiro recalled 
how the country was close to a "civil war" 40 years ago. 
And at the end-of-week, two former columnists, 
as different as António Guerreiro (Public-Y, Friday 23) 
and Sousa Tavares (Expresso on Saturday 24), 
lamented the "climate of civil war " that has reigned in Portugal 
since Antonio Costa announced his attempted seizure of power 
by the so-called "united left" in parliament.

The proof, however, is that it is not a mere parliamentary rearrangement, 
headed by the socialists (PS), 
but worth taking seriously the extraordinary public news 
quoted by Rui Ramos, 
according to which the CGTP, communist Trade Union 
"marked a concentration in front of the parliament, S. Bento, 
exactly on the day of the government's programme's vote." 
As far a memory goes, it is the FIRST time that the CGTP, 
which appears not be part of the tri-party agreement
 led by the Socialists (PS), 
is taking such a strong position openly, 
against a government which was legitimately nominated. 
On the other hand, this manifestation reminds us, instead, 
of the "steel wall" raised by the CGTP and its acolytes 
against the provisional governments that displeased them 
and against the Constituent Assembly from 1975 to 1976. 
Without any doubt, Portugal is facing a new "steel wall", 
as the leader of the CGTP did not hesitate to claim, 
that their "struggle is against austerity without any shame added: 
" We are on the verge of attaining our goal 
and the final sprint can be this concentration '. 
Let no one say we were not warned. 

António Costa should be forced to disclose 
what he thinks of this dangerous threat!

Before what is being prepared for this day, 
most commentators continue to grapple 
with the constitutional provisions 
and the electoral traditions of the regime, 
pretending not to be aware of an ongoing political upheaval 
which final end is completely unpredictable. 
It is true that the inability of the players 
affected by the attempted seisure of power - 
the President of the Republic (PR) and the PSD/CDS coalition - 
is enormous. 
The danger to the population is real.

In this political climate, no solution is good enough. 
If the President of the Republic hands over the power to the Socialists (PS) 
and its unreliable allies, 
it is however easy to imagine the price 
that the vast majority of the population will have to pay. 
If the President do not hand over power to the Socialists, 
temporarily trusting the government in the hands of a "group of wise men," 
to take charge of the situation in the country, 
until the election of the next President of the Republic, 
it is not hard to imagine the violence of the reaction of those rejected, 
but the losses to the country would perhaps be smaller, 
and less lasting.

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