The vote on the specialty of the State Budget proposal for next year starts this afternoon. We are all aware of the situation we are experiencing. The situation is indeed exceptional and needs an exceptional response. It was in this sense that the PCP presented more than 300 proposals covering practically all areas of national life. Problems that are already present and that are likely to be heightened must have a serious answer. There are options that the Government has to make. In and outside the Budget, otherwise the way is open for the situation to worsen.

The holding of this initiative, and of three dozen more that are taking place from North to South of the country, is the culmination of the national action promoted by the PCP, which began about a month ago with the motto - fight COVID, recover backlogs, guarantee access to healthcare - which aims to draw attention to the health situation and, fundamentally, to denounce the campaign that is underway against the National Health Service, by the economic groups in the business of disease.

First of all, I would like to thank you for your presence at this Public Session evoking the 107th. anniversary of the birth of Álvaro Cunhal, which, in this period of commemoration of the centennial of the Portuguese Communist Party, we decided to hold under the motto “Álvaro Cunhal and the PCP” and with it honour this central figure and major reference of our contemporary history.