Speech by Jerónimo de Sousa, General Secretary of PCP

On the election results 2015

On the election results 2015

CDU salutes the thousands of candidates, activists and militants of PCP, PEV, ID and independent citizens, the CDU youth, who with their generous dedication and their irreplaceable intervention helped to explain, mobilise and increase a solid confidence that a better and more dignified life is possible.

The result obtained by CDU confirms its political expression achieved during the last elections and points to a progress in its vote which, in a result all the more important and as more demanding becomes the intervention, whether at the parliamentary level or in terms of struggle, in the near future will be part of the political and social life of the country.

A result that expresses the current of those who see in CDU righteousness, seriousness and an irreplaceable role to defend their rights, and which confirms the value of the most combative and necessary force to defend the interests of the workers and the people, and confirms the determination and coherence of the CDU in the combats against injustice and struggle for a better life that very shortly the evolution of political life will need.

We have to note that this result was achieved under an intense ideological campaign and election conditioning, of blackmail and fear.

A result, whose interpretation cannot be separated from an ostensive and even outrageous context of unequal treatment.

The CDU carried out a remarkable campaign of explanation and mobilisation, with a wide popular participation that goes beyond the elections. A campaign based on truth, work, honesty, competence, seriousness, which are values that we assume and do not abandon. As we have stated repeatedly, the MPs elected by CDU, come what may, whatever happens, will always count to defend the interests of the workers, the people and the country.

The result of the PSD/CDS, regardless of being the most voted coalition, expresses a clear condemnation of the policy pursued in the last four years of their government.

In fact, the vote now obtained, means a huge loss of votes, a loss in percentage points and MPs, and is inseparable from the struggle and fight that the workers, the people and the CDU fought against the policy of economic decline and social regression by PSD and CDS.

The most important reading of the results and the new political framework is the confirmed defeat of the PSD and CDS projects to continue their work to destroy rights, attack workers' and people’s incomes, of subordination and national dependence.

The election results confirm a major defeat of the PSD and CDS, who lose their majority and are heavily punished by the Portuguese people. It would be intolerable that the President of the Republic would want, against the will of the Portuguese people to give them the possibility to continue in government. The PCP and the Green Ecological Party on their part will reject in Parliament any such attempt. This aim will be defeated unless the PS lets it pass.

PS which despite an electoral growth obtains a result that is not one of its best.

We face demanding times. But these are also times of confidence. Times of confidence in the struggle and resistance of many millions of Portuguese.

Confidence that in this fight will have the presence, coherence and combativity of the PCP and PEV MPs.

Honouring our commitments, we assume right away the presentation at the beginning of parliamentary works, of a set of legislative initiatives in order to restore and hand back the income and rights stolen during these past years.

Valorisation of wages, including raising the minimum wage to 600 euros in 2016, and the real value of pensions;

- Combat precariousness, particularly with changes to labour legislation and the adoption of a National Plan to Combat Precariousness and the valorisation of collective bargaining;
- Restoration of wages, pensions, holidays and other rights cuts, namely pension supplements;
- Strengthening and diversification of the Social Security financing and replacement of social benefits, particularly in child bonuses, unemployment and social benefits;
-Strengthening of the National Health Service and access to healthcare by hiring doctors, nurses and other professionals, reposition of transport of non-urgent patients and abolition of user fees;
- A fair tax policy that strongly taxes economic and financial groups and relieves taxes on workers, medium and small-size companies and the people;
- Repeal of the recent amendment to the Act of Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy.

Aware of the difficulties and dangers that threaten the near future, either because the situation in the country poses serious and accumulated problems, or because the intention of the right-wing policy is to always burden the living conditions, the CDU reaffirms the conviction that the patriotic and left-wing policy we propose to face and overcome national problems will emerge in the near future as the only way and the only answer to stop the path of decline and impoverishment that the right-wing policy - whatever the rearrangements that appear in the coming days - wants to lead the country.

As we have mentioned before, today we reaffirm: It is with CDU, with the strength of the people that it represents, that the Portuguese people will find, as it did before, every day and everywhere, in the fight against injustice and in the fight for a better life.

CDU salutes all those who entrusted it with their support and their vote, particularly the many thousands who did so for the first time, reaffirming its firm commitment that, in its action, they will find a force that will not only fully honour its word as will correspond to their most legitimate aspirations. Support and confidence which is a solid factor of encouragement to fight every day, and tomorrow will continue, for the conquest of a new political, patriotic and left-wing policy, to defend the interests of workers and the people, for the affirmation of Portugal as a sovereign and independent nation.