Punchy PM says European countries “green with envy” over Portugal’s financial health

Portugal’s prime minister Luís Montenegro has said today that Portugal’s financial health “would make any economy in the European Union green with envy” – adding that it takes “courage to change certain things and stand up to the voices of pessimism”.

“Portugal’s economic situation is better than the European Union average,” Luís Montenegro said in his speech during the presentation of a €400 million investment in the Aljustrel mine, in the district of Beja.

“Portugal’s financial health, and don’t be shy about telling anyone this, because it really is true, makes any economy in the European Union green with envy.”

“There isn’t a single one that can claim to be doing better than us,” he went on, but “there are some that are doing just as well as us,” he admitted (not actually saying who they were).

Portugal is “at the forefront” of Europe in financial and economic terms, the PM continued. This is why the country “must have the courage to change certain things and, time and again, to stand up to the voices of pessimism and the reluctance of those who lack the courage to act”.

Portugal “must often confront the inertia of those who pretend they want to change a great deal, but, at the end of the day, want everything to stay the same and remain exactly where it is”.

In a 25-minute speech, he responded to the chairman of the board of directors of the mine concessionaire, Humberto Costa Leite, who is calling for less bureaucracy in licensing processes.

“We are implementing a strategy for geological resources whose cornerstone is administrative simplification,” Montenegro stressed – emphasising that the aim is to achieve “greater coordination between all stakeholders”.

Procedures must become “swift and streamlined”, so that “the decision-maker can have all the information and be confident in the investment they are making”, during prospecting and subsequently during the project’s development.

“When you have to say no, say no as soon as possible, and when you have to say yes, say yes as soon as possible too,” he added.

The PM insisted that the government has declared “war on bureaucracy and excessive regulation”, as well as on those who “think their department is the only one that exists and on those who believe their department’s interests take precedence over the general interest”.

“We have declared war on all of this, including within the government, within government structures and within the civil service, and those in the civil service who do not understand this will be sidelined,” he revealed.

This was perhaps a little chilling, for state agencies that work hard to uphold environmental safeguards and protections. But the writing is well and truly on the wall. It has been since even before the Agriculture Minister told one of the nature protection agencies that they should consider the side of the investors, when they look at projects – and if those projects don’t comply with the law, consider whether it is the law that should be changed.

Source material: LUSA