One of the candidates vying for the top job at the Socialist Party, António Costa, visited the Algarve today and addressed a meeting in Portimão.
The key note was that whatever the decision of the Constitutional Court about new cuts that the Government wants to apply, its current economic policy is "exhausted."
Former Prime Minister Mário Soares, no stranger to running a country on an austerity footing, was in the audience made up mostly of party supporters.
"Between today and tomorrow, the country will know the decisions of the Constitutional Court on the last two steps that a desperate Government wants to take. We do not know the decision, but whatever it is, the current policy is exhausted," said Costa.
Arguing that the country needs a turnaround, António Costa said that when Mário Soares was prime minister (23 July 1976 to 28 August 1978), he also had to face a serious economic crisis.
"But there was a fundamental difference between the current Government and the Government back then which had a vision for the future and austerity was not an end in itself. That is what this Government does not have, a strategy for the future," said Costa.
To the politician, the solutions that the Government has been pursuing, have "reached an impasse" and "it does not solve anything just cutting salaries and increasing taxes," to the point where the Government "can not stop."
For Costa, the current policy does not lead to solution of any of the country’s problems, "not even the control and reduction of debt," which, according to the socialist, increased from 97% at the beginning of the legislature to 133% of GDP currently, a catastrophic failure by any standard.
After the meeting at the Portimao’s Municipal Theatre, António Costa went to the Sardine Festival which began today.
