Born in Lisbon, he was a candidate for the leadership of the PSD and, until a few weeks ago, he was vice-president of the Cascais Chamber. Miguel Pinto Luz is the head of the list of the Democratic Alliance (AD) for the electoral district of Faro in the Legislatures next Sunday.
On this, which is the last day of the electoral campaign, the Sul Informação now publishes the last interview with the list leaders of the parties or coalitions that are running for the Legislatures on March 10th.
The same questions were sent, in a timely manner, to all 14 first candidates, covering the main themes in focus in the Algarve. But not everyone took the time to respond, to make their ideas known.
The interviews were published as responses reached our newsroom.
Sul Informação – What are the priorities of your political force in the next legislature for the Algarve?
Miguel Pinto Luz – We have to give the Algarvians a voice again. We have to overcome this situation in which the Algarve is loved in the summer and forgotten the rest of the year. The Algarve is a major contributor to the national GDP, it is only fair that the people of the Algarve see the fruits of their work rewarded.
SI – What led you to accept being head of the list for the political force you represent?
MPL – I have been in public life for over 20 years and in political life for 30. Listening, studying and solving people's problems leaves me truly fulfilled. It was in this spirit that I accepted this challenge.
SI – What are the expectations and objectives of your political force in relation to these Legislative Elections?
MPL – The Democratic Alliance presents itself to elections with a single objective: to win the elections to change the country.
We have to give the Portuguese a future, give them back their ambition. Make you believe again.
SI – What remains to be done in the Algarve?
MPL – This is a question that unfortunately has too many right answers. Too many things need to be done. There is a lack of investment, a lack of vision and a lack of national justice towards the Algarve. We have defined four priority areas for action: water, health, housing and mobility.
These are pressing issues for the Algarve and the region. Issues that directly impact the quality of life of the Algarve. Questions that we have an obligation to answer.
SI – Drought and lack of water is a pressing issue in the Algarve. What solutions do you advocate, in the short term, knowing that the water currently available only arrives until August? And in the medium and long term?
MPL – The water situation in the Algarve is dramatic. There were too many years of waiting for it to rain, without doing anything. The investments that should have been made were not made and panaceas, such as the desalination plant, do not provide effective answers to the problem.
It is urgent to retain water at the surface, moving forward with the construction of dams that allow water to accumulate, starting with Foupana, but also with the use of some basins upstream.
We also have to make much more efficient use of water, we cannot accept the losses of public networks, much less condone the shifting of responsibilities onto the citizen by increasing water tariffs.
I do not believe in magical solutions and I know that, until these investments are completed, this resource will have to be managed very difficultly.
It is up to us to exert all pressure so that the funds are made available and that the works progress as quickly as possible.
SI – Health is a very deficient sector in the Algarve and in the country. What measures do you recommend to solve health problems in the Algarve?
MPL – In health, we have to use all installed capacity, forget about ideological dogmas and put the public, private and social sectors working towards the same objective: better health for the Portuguese.
We must move forward with the new Algarve Central Hospital. We cannot understand that a much-needed infrastructure has been on the drawing board since 2008.
And in this case I have to be clear: my opponent, head of the PS list, Jamila Madeira, had the knife and the cheese in her hand. She was Deputy Secretary of State and Health and the truth is that the hospital is still not a reality. With Jamila in Government, the health situation in the Algarve only deteriorated.
SI – What about the Algarve Central Hospital? What should be done?
MPL – This is an easy answer: it must be built, now!
SI – The Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Algarve and the Regional Health Administration joined, from January 1st, into a single body, the Algarve Local Health Unit. What do you think of this change and what expectations do you have for your future?
MPL – We may be facing an administrative monster. In territory, the Algarve ULS is the largest in the country and there are no studies that guarantee that this model is more efficient and, above all, that it provides better healthcare.
SI – The previous Government, now only in management, transformed the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions into Public Institutes, adding new functions (such as Agriculture and Fisheries, as well as Culture). What do you think of this change and what expectations do you have for your future? Is this a first step towards Regionalization?
MPL – If it is a first step towards Regionalization, it is a wrong and unclear step. Including agriculture and fisheries in the CCDRs created entropy, destroyed structures that knew the different realities and provided true answers on the ground.
SI – Are you for or against Regionalization? Why?
MPL – Not avoiding the question, let me tell you that the most important thing is to have the answers and investments that the Algarve and the people of the Algarve need.
It is only fair that the investments demanded by the people of the Algarve are made.
I don't forget that, during the crisis period, the Algarve was a great engine of the national economy, the effort and work of the people of the Algarve helped the entire country to survive and get back on its feet, it is elementary justice that, when the Algarve needs it, as in the case of water, there is reciprocity.
This for me is fundamental and is the ideal solution, solidarity and territorial justice.
SI – Will the integration of the former Regional Directorates of Culture and Agriculture and Fisheries into the CCDR have beneficial effects for these sectors or not?
MPL – The feeling given to me by sector agents is that it does not bring benefits, on the contrary, it has caused confusion. Many disparate subjects were mixed into the same entity, losing knowledge and contact with reality.
SI – What solutions do you recommend for tolls on Via do Infante?
MPL – Mobility is a critical vector for the Algarve. Public transport is not a real option.
There are no synergies between buses and trains.
The railway is being electrified, but the route has not been adjusted in order to reduce travel time.
The people of the Algarve are forced to use individual transport, they have no other solution.
As such, the cost of using this route must be drastically reduced.
SI – And for the completion of works on the EN125, from Olhão to Vila Real de Santo António?
MPL – It is necessary to resolve the legal imbroglio that the PS created. The state currently pays €1,3M/month to the concessionaire as compensation and not a single meter of work has been carried out.
70 million have already been spent without benefiting anyone, except the concessionaire.
Only then can the work be launched. We believe we can do it. For the safety of the Algarve, for mobility and for the good of the regional economy.
SI – One of the biggest problems in the Algarve is mobility. Work is being carried out to electrify the Algarve Line, the creation of the Metrobus is expected and there is talk of a possible TGV connection between Faro and Huelva/Seville. What is your opinion on these issues and what solutions do you advocate?
MPL – Regarding the railway line, electrification is, without a doubt, good news, but the route has not been improved and, therefore, the gain in terms of distance and time will be insignificant. It's a missed opportunity.
Metrobus is little more than a marketing campaign, a fancy name for a non-solution.
As it is designed, without having a dedicated track, the metrobus will always be subject to normal traffic. It is a project that needs to be reviewed, because, as it stands, it will not be a true solution.
Talking about the TGV at this moment is forgetting what is essential. Selling dreams and not thinking about real problems.
If the Algarvians do not have access to a train service worthy of the name, with functioning road interfaces, and predictable, comfortable and efficient mobility, talking about TGV is once again talking about flying cows.
SI – The president of the Algarve Tourism Region complained that the budget of this organization is short and has not been increased for many years. What do you recommend for this sector in the Algarve region?
MPL – There is a lack of a clear vision and a sense of urgency in this matter. The region must be able to unite on fundamental issues.
The creation of a regionally and territorially supportive tourist tax is the only way to have investment capacity in promoting the Algarve and, at the same time, to resolve many other constraints.
The region needs to generate value to invest in itself.
SI – In the current Government, does Tourism share a State secretariat with Commerce and Services? Do you think it is enough? Or should a future Government give more importance to Tourism? In what way?
MPL – Tourism must have more voice, I have no doubts about this. It is a very important sector of our economy and must be cared for and nurtured.
In this sense, the leader of the Democratic Alliance, Luís Montenegro, has already announced that, upon being elected, he will bring together councils of economic ministers, where tourism will obviously have a seat, and where the development of the country, as a whole, will be the focus.
We believe in a more prosperous country and in the capabilities of the Portuguese. We have ambition and our economy will be a priority.
SI – In the case of more divisive issues, will you vote for the AR according to your conviction, even if it goes against your party's guidelines?
MPL – My party, the PSD, has a good tradition of not imposing voting discipline on these matters, as such this is an issue that I will never debate, I will always vote according to my conscience.
SI – Do you consider that it would be useful to change the electoral law, to create single-member and partial constituencies and a national compensation circle, and thus bring deputies closer to citizens? Why or why not?
MPL – The distancing of citizens from politics is a reality. But the biggest gap is on the part of politics towards citizens.
The function of politics is to provide answers to citizens, to solve their problems and give voice to their desires.
I think that the models are not watertight, nor eternal, it doesn't shock me that solutions such as single-member circles or compensation circles are studied, or even a less proportional distribution of deputies, favoring more distant or less populated circles.
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