Paulo Portas has risen from recent media obscurity to warn of the current trend set by the Socialist government of undoing everything that the coalition government managed to achieve when it was in power.
The former deputy prime minister says that we must continue to ensure that Portugal is an attractive country "for Portuguese and foreign investment."
Paulo Portas remains the head of the CDS-PP party and was addressing an audience of business people at the inauguration of the Portugal Industries Centre in Batalha, Leiria which is a space to promote 150 companies and 1,300 products manufactured in Portugal.
Portas is concerned with the idea that "everything is to be undone or reversed," stressing that those responsible must take "great care" to ensure investor confidence.
"It worries me, this idea of undoing everything. I worry that we are going back on the TAP privatisation, on transport concessions, on labour reforms, and on the easing of the corporate tax rate."
Speaking to a packed audience, the centrist leader said that there must be a positive trade balance and that trust is essential to attract foreign investment.
"Trust is the basis of investment and investment is the basis for growth and employment. It is essential to protect and boost confidence and ensure that Portugal is an attractive country for Portuguese and foreign invest.”
The inauguration of the Portugal Industries Center also was attended the former Minister of Agriculture and candidate for the leadership of the CDS-PP, Asunção Cristas.
Portas praised Cristas but did not publicly back her bid to become the next leader of the party, saying only that she, "showed determination, which is essential in politics."
Being even-handed, the former deputy prime minister said that another contender for his job, Nuno Melo MEP, showed not only consistency, but also generosity, which is an important value in politics."
Portas did add that Cristas as Agriculture Minister has overseen the "upgrading of the rural world" with a strong agricultural policy.
Less firey than usual, Paulo Portas is soon to relinquish his party leadership and has not yet said whether he will stay in politics of pursue a career where his talents can be put to more lucrative use.
