Nuno Crato, Guilherme Figueiredo and Miguel Guimarães point to paths of change to get the country back to work again. They warn that it will only be possible to do what is required through serious commitment and without ideological obstacles.
With basic areas such as health, education, and justice paralyzed or in a state of siege, and with the near certainty that the expected legislative elections to be held on March 10 will not result in an absolute majority, there is a need to find paths that allow urgent and respectively postponement of the implementation of reforms. This is why more and more voices from different regions have joined the chorus demanding understandings between the major parties, so that commitments can be set that allow progress without obstacles or setbacks, at a time of government instability.
“There are many things that fail,” despite the largest budget ever and the largest number of health personnel. “Things are not going well, because we need to modernize and make repairs,” says Miguel Guimarães. With the National Socialist Party suffering from years of chaos, the former president of the Doctors' Party, who was a leading figure in presenting the New Democratic Party (which together leads the PSD, CDS and PPM votes) as an independent, points to the need for a “system agreement”. For health”, especially with two specific goals: “The first is to invest in health promotion, through an independent (even economic) public institution that invests in health literacy and the creation of healthy social and eating habits – something that only affects health.” Average but they will be crucial for us to be healthier, enjoy a better quality of life especially after the age of 60 (when we are among the worst) and even help with the sustainability of the NHS.The second is to modernize the SNS.
This warning resonates in other areas of public policy, from justice to education. “What we have today is the absence of a Ministry of Justice, which is a fundamental pillar of democracy and which should be a priority. “Deep reforms are needed to advance changes in structural issues and in matters of surgical amendment of laws, with the creation of dedicated working groups and even opening regular debate to Civil society,” Guilherme Figueiredo tells NOVO. “But without the broad support of the two major parties, nothing can be achieved,” says the former president of the Bar Association.
On education, after a decade of disastrous policies – the results of which can be seen in teacher protests but also in Portugal's rankings in international assessments – urgent changes are also needed. “The results of PISA 2022 are very worrying and alert us to the major problems that exist in Europe and other regions of the world, especially in Portugal,” says Nuno Crato.
Speaking to Novo, the former Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education noted that “the country’s decline in international studies began in 2016 with PIRLS (reading literacy), and continued with PISA in 2018 (reading, mathematics and science skills) and TIMSS (mathematics and science).” 2019. All this before the pandemic. “The situation has worsened with the pandemic, as revealed by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022. It has become worse in our country compared to countries that have seen similar school closures. “This should make us think,” recommends Nuno. Krato, pointing to essential reforms to resume teaching success.
Manifesto for wealth creation
Because the country cannot “face another two lost decades,” the Portugal Business Roundtable this week launched a Manifesto for a Fairer, Prosperous and Sustainable Portugal, to launch the debate on what needs to change in public policies in a way that attracts investment. And create wealth.
“We challenge politicians, decision-makers, the media and all the Portuguese people to have more ambition, more demand and a sense of urgency for Portugal’s transformation,” explained Pedro Gingera Nascimento.
The focus is on issues such as bureaucracy and slow justice, taxes that penalize work and wealth creation and delays in the arrival of money, which the ABRP considers urgent to change so that the country can grow at the 3.8% it needs to catch the European train and achieve health. to the national economy.
Read the full article in the NOVO edition, on newsstands Saturday, January 13
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