The Workers’ Party this morning expressed its solidarity with its sister party, the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), after the Portuguese president, Cavaco Silva, stated that he would not permit a government to be formed that included the Portuguese Communist Party because of its opposition to the European Union.
President Silva announced that he would not allow a coalition that commands a majority of seats in parliament to take power because the PCP “campaigned to abrogate the Lisbon Treaty, the Fiscal Compact, the Growth and Stability Pact, as well as to dismantle monetary union and take Portugal out of the euro, in addition to wanting the dissolution of NATO”.
Responding to this astounding statement, Workers’ Party Councillor Éilis Ryan, said
“The president’s intervention is proof that the Portuguese political and economic elites, and their allies in the European Union, see much to fear in the strengthening of the PCP, the Workers’ Party’s sister party in Portugal. The capitalist class across Europe recognizes that the politics of socialism, of calling for a total transformation away from our broken capitalist economy, represent the only real threat to the implementation of austerity.”
Workers’ Party international secretary Gerry Grainger said:
“The Portuguese President’s claim that it is the Communists who pose a threat to democracy in Portugal is quite simply ludicrous. The Communist Party have a proud history of standing up against fascist dictatorship in Portugal, and instigated the fall of the Salazar regime there. And today, they are once again leading the struggle against austerity.We see now who are the enemies of democracy – the proponents of austerity who have once again ignored the democratic will of a people.”
Workers’ Party Councillor Ted Tynan said:
“The Portuguese Communist Party argued strongly throughout their election campaign for a radical alternative to capitalism. They did this with great success, achieving their best election result in 16 years. That they would be effectively banned from office is evidence of how far the class that rules in Portugal and throughout the EU will go to prevent any measures thatthreaten their power and wealth. It is a lesson to all of us who are fighting against austerity, and for socialism.”
The Workers’ Party has sent a statement of solidarity to the Portuguese Communist Party.
For information on the situation in Portugal please read the following statement issued by the Communist Party of Portugal last evening: Statement of the PCP on the decision of president