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Portugal’s Prime Minister Calls Chega No-Confidence Motion ‘Mere Political Games’

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency New plan
  • Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said Chega’s planned no-confidence motion against his government was “mere political games” and lacked a meaningful focus on citizens’ concerns.
  • Chega introduced the motion over Montenegro’s decision to keep Luís Neves as interior administration minister despite controversies linked to his former leadership of the Judicial Police.
  • The motion is unlikely to pass because the opposition Socialist Party has said it will vote against it, while approval would require 116 votes in Portugal’s 230-seat parliament and force the government to resign.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has dismissed Chega’s planned no-confidence motion as “mere political games,” saying it has little to do with the problems facing ordinary people.

Montenegro said he would answer the motion when it reaches the Assembly of the Republic and demonstrate that it “makes no sense.” He spoke to journalists in São Tomé and Príncipe, where he attended the inauguration of re-elected President Carlos Vila Nova.

mere political games

· Luís MontenegroThe prime minister’s description of Chega’s planned no-confidence motion.

The conservative prime minister said his government’s priorities differ completely from those of the motion’s sponsors. He pointed to opportunities and projects aimed at creating “a better future for everyone” and said his administration was carrying out the programme presented to Portuguese voters.

A government governs because it was elected by the people.

· Luís MontenegroMontenegro rejected the idea that the Socialist Party would be rescuing his government by voting against the motion.

Chega announced the motion after Montenegro decided to retain Luís Neves as minister of internal administration. Neves has faced criticism over several controversies from his previous period leading the Judicial Police. The initiative has little chance of succeeding because the Socialist Party, which is in opposition, has said it will vote against it to prevent another political crisis.

Portugal’s unicameral parliament requires an absolute majority of its 230 members to approve a no-confidence motion. If approved, the motion would force the government to resign. Asked whether the Socialists would effectively save his government, Montenegro rejected that description and said, “A government governs because it was elected by the people.” He added that the current legislature runs until the end of 2029 and that there was no reason to interrupt a course backed by voters. Opposition parties, he said, need not support every government proposal or decision. “Not agreeing with everything the government does is not a problem. That is democracy.”

Not agreeing with everything the government does is not a problem. That is democracy.

· Luís MontenegroHe said opposition parties could disagree with government decisions without seeking to end its mandate.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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