Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s appearance on an Algarve beach with his family and PSD parliamentary leader Hugo Soares has sparked a fresh political controversy, after the prime minister had previously told Parliament that he would not be taking a summer holiday.
Images published by Correio da Manhã showed Montenegro at Garrão Beach, in Almancil, last week, prompting criticism from opposition parties, and the public, via the means of social media.
Socialist Party (PS) secretary-general José Luís Carneiro seized on the issue during a public event in Campo Maior, questioning the prime minister’s consistency and arguing that the episode raises doubts over the commitments he had made to the Portuguese public.
However, differing views have also emerged within the Socialist camp itself. Former MP Ascenso Simões argued that the decision not to book a holiday does not mean the prime minister is barred from taking time to relax, or from spending a day away from his office.
According to information previously released by Luís Montenegro’s auxiliary team, the prime minister decided not to schedule a holiday this summer in order to remain available to oversee government business. He was, however, expected to take some weekends and occasional days off in Portugal, provided his diary allowed for it.
It remains unclear how many days Montenegro spent in the Algarve. What is known is that he was photographed on the beach during the afternoon of 6 August.
Source: CM
Photo credit: CM
