PS Deputy Secretary General João Torres this Wednesday accused the PSD president of prioritizing the electricity market over consumers and felt the new social democratic leadership was “proudly neo-liberal”.
“What is absolutely clear is that for the President of the PSD, the interests of the market, in particular, in the face of a clear speculative threat, outweigh the interests of users, consumers, and this is absolutely unacceptable. The new leadership of the PSD, which, as we have always said, has a deep neoliberal character,” defended PS Deputy General Secretary Joao Torres.
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the socialist MP described the new social democratic leadership as “purely and proudly neo-liberal”, stressing that the electricity sector is “a core public service for which service providers have, by law, special obligations and special responsibilities.”
“For PS, the consumer comes first, the good management of public affairs also comes first, and it is absolutely instructive for the Portuguese to let everyone know that Dr. Luis Montenegro will defend the market steadfastly and uncritically in the context that we are going through, and especially in this the last question, which concerns one of the companies supplying electricity to users,” he said.
For PS “number 2” “it is very important that people feel that the state, its bodies, its institutions protect them” in the current context, noting that the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) made it clear that it is “naturally attentive” to the situation .
“The position taken by PSD is absolutely instructive, we at PS understand that we need to be very careful, we need to be vigilant, this is a role for each of the consumers, as well as for the state. it is important to demonstrate to users that we protect them, that we follow the development of the market, in particular in this sector, and that consumers, users can also rely on PS to protect them,” he concluded.
On Tuesday, the prime minister determined that public services could not pay Endesa’s bills without first being reviewed by Environment and Energy Minister João Galamba after the company’s president, Nuno Ribeiro da Silva, authorized a 40% increase in electricity.
António Costa’s order also specifies that, in order to avoid disruption of services, the public services and the Public Administration Shared Services Organization (ESPAP) must conduct market consultations regarding the possible need to contract with new suppliers “that adhere to good business practices.” .
On the same day, in statements to journalists before attending the Expofacic fair in Cantanhede, SDP leader Luis Montenegro said that the government “went too far” in exercising power in the Prime Minister’s dispatch on Endes, given that the executive branch was “nervous”. “Getting out of awkward situations.
For Luis Montenegro, “it is very unusual to see a prime minister willing to intervene in matters that are not his direct responsibility,” stressing that clarification is needed regarding the evolution of electricity prices.
This Wednesday, PSD requested a study from the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) on how many consumers will be covered by the Iberian electricity price cap mechanism and how it will affect their pockets.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
