What António Costa and his "geringonça" coalition offers Portugal,
is a handful of emptiness, of nothingness, a complete void of ideas or plans;
an insult to our intelligence
The National Programme for Government Reform is an insult to our intelligence,
but also a reflection of a greater evil:
the parties do not think of the country beyond platitudes,
soundbytes and powerpoints.
but also a reflection of a greater evil:
the parties do not think of the country beyond platitudes,
soundbytes and powerpoints.
It comes down to just a powerpoint presentation,
filled with platitudes and well-known ideas,
almost all from the PS election program.
Because there is NO original reflection on the real needs of the country,
much less any commitments resulting from the hearings
with the different sectors of society
- after all, the prevailing question maintains:
WHY are these "pillars" the sole priority and not others?
filled with platitudes and well-known ideas,
almost all from the PS election program.
Because there is NO original reflection on the real needs of the country,
much less any commitments resulting from the hearings
with the different sectors of society
- after all, the prevailing question maintains:
WHY are these "pillars" the sole priority and not others?
Is there anyone out there who is against the modernization of the state?
- what really matters is to define HOW it will be achieved.
The National Plan of the Reform of the State
has been an excuse of a pompous presentation,
it has been the subject of fornightly parliamentary debate,
with the prime minister or it became the subject of discussion
in the Council of State,
which only aggravates the ridiculousness of it all:
the country is concerned in discussing "the void".
But there is no disguising that, beyond the paper,
the NRP does not exist.
1) Anyone against combating school failure?
or against "promoting educational success and reducing the dropout rate,
through measures which promote equal access"?
2) Anyone against the promotion of innovation in the economy?
3) Anyone against "Empowering the infrastructure of R & D
4) and the internationalization of scientific and technological development?"
5) Anyone against "territorial cohesion"?
6) Anyone against betting on developing an "oceanic economy?"
Or best of all: ANYONE AGAINST
Or best of all: ANYONE AGAINST
the "Modernising the state"?
The never fulfilled promise to "ensure normative stability
and predictability for businesses. "
Pages and pages of nothingness
- commonplace clichés presented by pillars and shafts,
policies confused with reforms, and in the end:
an eloquent document full nothingness, just voids.
It is hard to believe that, while the government
take the portuguese for stupid fools,
we do not read in the newspapers of widespread indignation -
indignation that should at least be equivalent to that, for example,
when Paulo Portas presented a script for the reform of State.
After all, the PNR (National Plan for Reform), is not entirely useless.
It has the advantage of involuntarily reminding
the Portuguese in double measure,
of the reason WHY Portugal survives,
precariously, between one bailout to the next bailout.
First, is the fact that Socialist Party, has converted the public sector
into its most important constituency,
which has now become the largest blocking factor
to a true reform of the state.
Which explains WHY, the 53 Reform Plan powerpoint slides,
does not mentioned a single word about the size of the State
nor its organization,
the plan does not propose a single cut in public spending
nor even a humble plan for the optimization of public services
- the State does not move, it only invests millions in the State.
After all, we are not surprised:
it would be an illusion to trust the State to reform a government,
which depend for its existance, on the communists parties and factions
and its powerful trade unions.
The NRP (National Reform Plan), that the government presented,
is an insult to our intelligence, but it is also a reflection of a greater evil:
from the left to the right-wing parties,
the parties do not know how to think about the country
beyond mere empty platitudes, soundbytes and powerpoints,
hostages of the fear of hurting the susceptibilities of the voters,
the trade unions and the enormous administrative machinery of the State.
Maybe Portugal can only function without a strategic, long-term vision,
favouring the bankruptcy clienteles from one bankruptcy to another,
hoping that a troika will come, to impose by force, some kind of reforms
that the country desperately needs.
But after three international bailouts
and in the hang-over of an economic crisis,
this might be the ideal time for the parties to be filled with courage
and face this fear,
starting to really work on the implementation
of the necessary reforms, however unpopular they may be.
Yes, the Reform Plan of the State has shown that Portugal
can not count on the left-wing coalition of socialists-and-communists
to get on with it.
The question remains, however:
will the right-wing parties be up to the challenge??
and predictability for businesses. "
Pages and pages of nothingness
- commonplace clichés presented by pillars and shafts,
policies confused with reforms, and in the end:
an eloquent document full nothingness, just voids.
It is hard to believe that, while the government
take the portuguese for stupid fools,
we do not read in the newspapers of widespread indignation -
indignation that should at least be equivalent to that, for example,
when Paulo Portas presented a script for the reform of State.
After all, the PNR (National Plan for Reform), is not entirely useless.
It has the advantage of involuntarily reminding
the Portuguese in double measure,
of the reason WHY Portugal survives,
precariously, between one bailout to the next bailout.
First, is the fact that Socialist Party, has converted the public sector
into its most important constituency,
which has now become the largest blocking factor
to a true reform of the state.
Which explains WHY, the 53 Reform Plan powerpoint slides,
does not mentioned a single word about the size of the State
nor its organization,
the plan does not propose a single cut in public spending
nor even a humble plan for the optimization of public services
- the State does not move, it only invests millions in the State.
After all, we are not surprised:
it would be an illusion to trust the State to reform a government,
which depend for its existance, on the communists parties and factions
and its powerful trade unions.
The NRP (National Reform Plan), that the government presented,
is an insult to our intelligence, but it is also a reflection of a greater evil:
from the left to the right-wing parties,
the parties do not know how to think about the country
beyond mere empty platitudes, soundbytes and powerpoints,
hostages of the fear of hurting the susceptibilities of the voters,
the trade unions and the enormous administrative machinery of the State.
Maybe Portugal can only function without a strategic, long-term vision,
favouring the bankruptcy clienteles from one bankruptcy to another,
hoping that a troika will come, to impose by force, some kind of reforms
that the country desperately needs.
But after three international bailouts
and in the hang-over of an economic crisis,
this might be the ideal time for the parties to be filled with courage
and face this fear,
starting to really work on the implementation
of the necessary reforms, however unpopular they may be.
Yes, the Reform Plan of the State has shown that Portugal
can not count on the left-wing coalition of socialists-and-communists
to get on with it.
The question remains, however:
will the right-wing parties be up to the challenge??
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