Montenegro's Bold Speech in Madrid: A Call for Authority and Critique of Costa's Policies

When a potential political crisis looms in Spain, centered around Pedro Sánchez's PSOE, Portugal's Prime Minister took the stage at the PP Congress in Spain.

Luís Montenegro used this platform to assert that, in Portugal, socialists have "halted the country and its development" and pursued "an irresponsible migration policy, without regulation or control"—a narrative often associated with the far-right, which the PSD has been keen to adopt.

Montenegro didn't stop there; he accused António Costa's administration of fostering "division and fracture", increasing the tax burden, and degrading state services in Education and Health. He also claimed that socialists conspired with both the far-left and far-right to overthrow the previous PSD and CDS-PP government.

"Today, we are reforming Portugal and not in government to maintain power at any cost," Montenegro emphasized, highlighting his government's commitment to change.

In a direct appeal to the Spanish PP, Montenegro positioned both the PSD and PP as "the people's parties", true defenders of public welfare and fiscal responsibility. He expressed confidence in Núñez Feijóo's eventual rise to power, suggesting it would benefit the Iberian Peninsula.

This speech comes as Feijóo, despite winning the July 2023 elections, struggles to secure a majority in the Spanish Parliament, amidst a backdrop of political turmoil within the PSOE.