Pedro Nuno asks that we “stop pretending” that transparency is detrimental to attracting politicians

The PS secretary general asked today to “stop pretending that the requirement for transparency hinders the entry into politics of competent people”, stressing that those who assume public functions “must be available for scrutiny”.

This position was taken by Pedro Nuno Santos, in statements to journalists at the party headquarters, in Lisbon, after a meeting with ICCOPN – Association of Civil Construction and Public Works Industrialists.

The socialist said he disagreed with the position of the President of the Assembly of the Republic and even people from his political persuasion on the issue of transparency for public office holders, arguing that “the demand for transparency has never hurt anyone”.

“The talk that demanding transparency and scrutiny is removing good people from politics (…) the good people in politics are precisely those who are not afraid of transparency and scrutiny. It is good that we stop pretending that the demand for transparency hinders the entry of competent people into politics. People, when they come to public office, have to be open to scrutiny”, he considered.

The PS leader recalled, in the scrutiny he has been subjected to throughout his career, that he was asked “many unpleasant questions that he had to answer”, and added that this is part of the life of anyone who chooses a political career.

Pedro Nuno Santos stressed, however, that this requirement should not be confused with “populism and lies” and the “unacceptable exploitation of private life situations”, but insisted that politicians must be transparent because they have decision-making power and “power over the lives of others”.

“The Prime Minister is one of the people with the most power in Portugal. And that is why he has an increased duty of transparency. If we want to defend democracy, we cannot leave the demand for transparency to the extreme parties, to the most populist parties,” he argued.

The PS leader also insisted that there are unanswered questions about the case of Luís Montenegro's family company and said that the socialists are evaluating what “they can do more” to reach other answers.

Pedro Nuno Santos also commented on the news in the online newspaper Observador – which reports that the Government understands that behind the controversies that have affected the executive there is a cross-agenda between real estate interests and the media -, considering the argument contained therein to be “ridiculous” and demanding that the Government take a position on the news.

“I find this unacceptable. And so I really hope that the Portuguese Government, while we’re at it, for the good of all of us and, once again, for transparency, confirms or denies that news. Because I think it’s serious that they’re trying to convey, in a hidden way, the idea that this case only exists because some media outlets have an agenda against the Government,” he said.