The general secretary of the Socialist Party has accused the prime minister of hiding information from the Portuguese electorate.
In response, the vice president of the parliamentary group of the ruling Social Democrats, Teresa Leal Coelho, said today that there is no bargaining going on, whether hidden or not hidden, over the terms under which the country will exit the bailout programme in June.
“The Socialist’s claims are simply false," said the Social Democrat MEP in a statement to reporters today, reacting to surprise mutterings about further support for Portugal made by the President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, on Monday.
The general secretary of the Socialist Party accused the prime minister of hiding information after Draghi said that Portugal will need a support programme when the time comes to access the international funding markets on its own.
According to Teresa Leal Coelho, the goal of the Government is to leave the bailout programme in six months when in a position to return to the markets.
Teresa Leal Coelho believes that Portugal is on track and that the efforts of the Portuguese already have a result in sight, regretting that half the country wants to solve problems and the others want to be difficult.
"Over the transition period, there will be a support programme which will be adapted to the situation at the time," said Mario Draghi in Brussels on Monday.
The Prime Minister and many of his loyal cohorts have scoffed at the idea of a further support programme for Portugal in June but the market will determine the price Portugal will have to pay when it starts to issue government bonds after the Troika has left town.
