Prime Minister Faces Questions About Lajes Base

Luís Montenegro highlights that, in his view, the PS is close to the PSD in Defense. “Perhaps the greatest recognition of the PS’s sense of state is to think that the PS would do more than what the Government is doing. Despite all the movements, I don’t see any major differences in the way we think about Foreign Policy and Defense”, reiterated the Prime Minister.

“There are many countries outside the closest institutional sphere”, said Montenegro, to list that “there was permanent contact with countries attacked by Iran”, remembering Cyprus, from the EU, and Turkey, which belongs to NATO. “We even talked to Iran,” he assured.

He highlighted the economic importance of the Lajes Base agreement for Terceira, guaranteeing that there was no “additional information” about the attack on Iran, reverting to the decree made in 2017, which “was not subject to parliamentary consideration by the left-wing majority” and which provides for “permanent use in 50 countries” and which implies “notification”. “We have 24 hours to object, which only happens if something is likely to affect the law. There was nothing that justified us objecting to this use”, he explained, also recalling that “the formal request took place on the 28th” and that the “consultation with the parties took place on the afternoon of the 27th”.

He said the US exercised it in “retaliation and in its defense” and that this is in line with international law. “We acted in our way of seeing foreign policy, in safeguarding the national interest and this presupposes that actions help to reinforce our security and that we are on the side of our Allies”, he guaranteed.

Regarding support for populations affected by bad weather, Montenegro highlights that the Government has “a public consultation process for the PTRR and the entire immediate recovery program for those most affected.” “More than 20 thousand applications have already been submitted, totaling 115 million euros. There are ongoing moratoriums on housing credit and reconstruction of the business line”, detailed Montenegro.