Marcelo Highlights the Challenges of State Reform: "Talking is Easy, Doing is Hard"

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of Portugal, recently commented on the government's plan for state reform, emphasizing the complexity of the task. "Talking about state reform is easy, but doing it is very difficult," he stated to journalists.

Digitalization was one of the examples he used to illustrate the challenges. "I don't know if you're aware, but there are Ministries with dozens, if not hundreds, of different digitalization systems and contracts. This cannot be, in terms of coordination and cost savings," he highlighted.

The appointment of Gonçalo Saraiva Matias, president of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, as the Minister for Administrative Modernization and State Reform, marks a significant step in addressing these issues. This new ministry is part of the XXV Constitutional Government's efforts to tackle bureaucratic inefficiencies.

At the last PSD National Council, the Prime Minister-designate, Luís Montenegro, pointed to administrative modernization and the fight against bureaucracy as top priorities. "We will launch an unprecedented effort to make our administration less bureaucratic and to mobilize the country towards a strategy of trust in the functioning of public institutions," he said.