The leader of the PS/Algarve accused the leader of the Algarve PSD of making "the worst declaration of political obedience in memory in the Algarve", when defending the Government's position regarding the exclusion of the region from the Passport Employment measure.
Miguel Freitas had risen, last Thursday, against the exclusion of the Algarve from emblematic measures of the «Impulso Jovem» program, considering that, with this «shocking» decision, the Government reveals a profound insensitivity towards the social crisis that is being experienced in the region with the greatest country's unemployment rate.
"The Algarve is outside the most emblematic of measures, the Passport Employment, a professional internship program that would be extremely beneficial for the region most penalized by unemployment in Portugal", denounced the member of the PS, who asked about the results of this decision.
But Luís Gomes, leader of the Algarve social democrats responded, accusing him of "lack of political memory" and saying that the Algarve was excluded from the measure as it was no longer fully eligible for the Convergence Objective, for statistical reasons.
Miguel Freitas stresses, in a statement, that «the Government excluded the Algarve from the most important measure of the youth employment program, as it is not a disadvantaged region, preventing young people from Algarve from having access to the “Passaporte Emprego”, with full coverage of support to internships in companies and institutions. This is a very serious decision for the Algarve, particularly at a time when the region has the highest unemployment rate in the country».
The leader of the socialists adds that «the PSD Algarve and its president, Luís Gomes, refer, in connection with this serious mistake by the Government, that they are satisfied that other regions have access to 100% of the “Impulso Jovem” and that the Algarve can only stand as a candidate. measures corresponding to 75% of this program. This is the worst declaration of political obedience in the Algarve in memory».
The statement from the socialists also underlines that “the PSD and Luís Gomes thus show their lack of concern for young people in the Algarve, seeking to justify a bad decision by the Government. Instead of taking a position in defense of the region, they react to deputy Miguel Freitas, for having questioned the Government in the Assembly of the Republic and demanded solutions that restore justice».
But Miguel Freitas does not stop there with his accusations against his social-democratic counterpart and emphasizes that «the PSD and Luís Gomes do much worse than that: they try to shift responsibility to the past, which, incidentally, is a tactic of the weak, when claim that the Algarve was left out of the community funds of the convergence regions, by criteria negotiated by the PS Government».
Because, says the president of the PS/Algarve, «the financial perspectives of the European Union for 2007-2013 started to be discussed in 2003, being concluded in 2005. That is, for two thirds of the time, the negotiation was conducted by the PSD governments /CDS, when the criteria for the distribution of funds were defined, having been completed in the last semester by the PS Government. The PS considered these European criteria unfair to all transition regions, such as the Algarve».
PSD leader Luís Gomes said that the reason now invoked for the exclusion of the Algarve from this measure to support Youth Employment was the same as indicated by the Government of José Sócrates, when, in 2005, he left out a program with 2.000 internships in the region. (PEPAL) under a 'profoundly unfair statistical calculation'.
But Miguel Freitas accuses this statement made by Luís Gomes of being “false”, even saying that it reveals that, “in an attempt to redeem itself from bad decisions, the PSD even resorts to lies”.
And he clarifies: «in 2009, there was an internship program in Local Administration in which the Algarve was not covered. PS Algarve came out against it, defending a Regional Qualification and Employment Program for the region. Interestingly, unlike now, at that time the PSD and Luís Gomes did what they had to: they demanded for the Algarve».
These statements and attitudes, for the fellow deputy Miguel Freitas, show that, «from the PSD and Luís Gomes, the Algarve can only hope for obedience to the Government».
«They were silent in the face of the situation at the tolls in Via do Infante, they were silent about the increase in VAT on restaurants, they were silent about the Hospital do Algarve. And, when they say something, it's just to try to justify the errors and omissions of this Government», concludes the president of PS/Algarve.
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