The new president of the right-of-centre CDS-PP party Assunçao Cristas has warned the government that it no longer can blame the last administration for its problems.
Cristas, giving a key-note speech in Almancil on Saturday evening, said the clock has been reset to zero and the socialists have only themselves to blame if they do not hit budget targets after the European Commission had decided not to impose financial penalties for 2015’s inability to hit the deficit target.
The centrist leader who took over from Paulo 'Submarines' Portas, added that "fortunately, some people in the European Commission had good sense" noting that some of European Commissioners support the European People's Party, to which Portugal’s CDS belongs.
Cristas noted that the Portuguese people have "made many efforts and many sacrifices" and that the proposed budget fine was unfair and inappropriate as you just need to look at the efforts the Portuguese have made and use some common sense."
The leader of the Centro Democrático Social - Partido Popular (CDS-PP) political party noted that the government can no longer bleat that it is being victimised by the European Commission now that it has been let off and warned that the surrounding argument is over and the performance clock has been reset to zero, i.e. whatever happens from now on is 100% down to the current government.
The political party leader also criticised the government rise in fuel taxes and the current plans that are being prepared to apply inheritance tax in 2017 and to raise more money from property taxes (IMI).
The leader of the CDS said her party will continue “to oppose the government of the radical left" which has "failed miserably in job creation" and is "creating instability and a lack of confidence in the financial system.”
