Translated "Avante!" article by Pedro Guerreiro, Member of the Secretariat of the CC and Responsible of the International Department
With the PS government delivery, of the state budget draft for 2016, to the European Union, suddenly there begun a choir of pressures that – under the mantle of the external blackmail – seeks, on its own or by interpose and fervent herald, to render difficult or even stop the objectives concretization that, although, even in a limited way, ensure incomes’ devolution and the replacement of stolen rights, besides the Portuguese people’s most immediate needs.
Although considering that the budget draft, currently presented, carries on not jeopardizing constraints and conditionings by its fundamental options, the cause of the serious problems with which Portugal is confronted, those who desire the continuation and intensifying of exploitation, impoverishment and plunder policy – the so-called “austerity” policy – intent to obstruct and , if possible, impede the reversion of destructive and intolerable measures, previously imposed on the workers and the Portuguese people, that, presented as temporary, were, finally, of a permanent and definitive effect nature.
In other words, even in conscience of the PS government major option, of not confronting the public debt, submission to the Euro or the monopolist groups domain, what concerns the great capital and expresses the EU, IMF,PSD and CDS and all the panoply of “budget supervisors”, “financial advisors” and “ commentators in service”, is that in Portugal, - although in an insufficient manner and far from the plans defended by the PCP – salary cuts stop being applied, concerning the Public Administration workers; the national minimum salary to be increased; the progressive reduction of the over-tax on the PIT/IRS and its subsequent elimination in 2017; stop the companies concession and privatization of passenger land transports; repayment of pension complements to the state entrepreneur sector; protect family residence before pledges and fiscal executions; elimination of national holiday dates; open way unto the 35 hours weekly work timetable, for the public administration workers; among others, unquestionable measures adopted (or to be adopted) along with the important PCP role , the workers and the Portuguese people, its struggle in the defence for the replacement and achievement of their rights.
After all, what really worries them is the political significance of what these important advances ought to signify – although partial and achieved within a complex and contradictory framework - , not but for workers and the Portuguese people, as for workers and peoples from other countries, and their struggle for their legitimate rights, interests and desires, before the EU supra- national dictates.
For the EU, the troika and their followers ,there are no restrictions concerning the deficit increase, when it reports to finance the great financial capital – as proved by public amounts of thousand of millions delivered and handed over to banks - , and only but when it is about to promote the inversion of serious aspects of the brutal exploitation, impoverishment and decline policy, imposed on the Portuguese people, over the last four years.
A situation that demands a strong position in order to face it, and not , on the contrary, an abdication posture before the EU impositions and blackmail, affirming with coherence, the right of each people –namely the Portuguese – towards its development option, respecting its will and sovereignty, liberating it from submission ties.