Summary:
Pedro Nuno Santos accuses Paulo Rangel of political dishonesty over pension supplement.
Santos claims the government's actions are opportunistic, seeking short-term electoral gains.
Paulo Rangel defends the pension supplement as fundamental support for 2.4 million people.
Rangel questions the opposition's discomfort with the budgetary responsible measure.
The supplement, costing over 400 million euros, is to be implemented in October.
Accusations of Political Dishonesty
Pedro Nuno Santos, the Secretary-General of the PS, accused Paulo Rangel, the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, of "political dishonesty" regarding the newly announced extraordinary supplement for low pensions by the government. He emphasized that the PSD is not a defender of the public pension system, but rather deceiving pensioners with the illusion of an increase.
Opportunistic Motivations
Santos highlighted that the "only motivation" behind the government's actions is opportunistic, using the good public accounts left by the previous government to implement a strategy aimed at short-term electoral gains.
Rangel's Defense
In response, Paulo Rangel defended the announced measures, stating that the extraordinary supplement for low pensions is a "fundamental support" that should benefit 2.4 million people. He expressed confusion over the opposition's discomfort with this social measure, which he believes demonstrates budgetary responsibility.
Criticism of Opposition
Rangel criticized Santos’s claims that the pension supplement is an electoral measure, asserting that there are no upcoming elections unless Santos decides otherwise. He described the current government as "reformist with social sensitivity".
Financial Implications
The pension supplement, announced during the Pontal political festival in the Algarve, is expected to be implemented in October at a cost of over 400 million euros.
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