Portuguese MEP Ana Gomes has accused the Socialist Party's hierarchy of allowing the former Prime Minister José Sócrates of manipulate the party in an attempt at his own 'political rehabilitation.'
The party leaders say "it’s quite normal that the former Prime Minister is participating in the life of the party," despite the abnormal circumstances of his arrest, remand period of 41 weeks in Évora jail and future trial.
Gomes said, "I know I'm a lone voice, but I don't care," and pointed out that many rank and file party members are outraged at José Sócrates’ inclusion in party initiatives such as the luncheon this weekend at the Parque das Nações and another high profile party initiative last Friday.
Ana Gomes believes that Sócrates "is hijacking and manipulating the party", which she finds "shocking."
The MEP believes said that the former PM’s behavior in admitting he "lived at the expense of his friend" Carlos Silva Santos makes any political recovery unthinkable and criticises both Sócrates and the current Prime Minister António Costa, the secretary general of the socialist party, in equal measure
Sócrates has admitted to being financially dependent on his childhood friend whose company enjoyed the benefits of several lucrative contracts with the State when Sócrates was prime minister.
Gomes and other have pointed out that it is not possible to give José Sócrates a platform and not to be complicit in the attacks on judges, prosecutors and the legal system that he has been mounting.
The Assistant Secretary General of the Socialist Party, Ana Catarina Mendes, considered it "normal and natural that a former general secretary of the PS is invited to PS initiatives."
Yesterday, António Costa denied that Sócrates is an irritant within the socialist party and pointed out that Sócrates’ opposition to the recently introduced banking rules for those with €50,000 + balances showed his ‘freedom of opinion’ is perfectly acceptable.
Ana Gomes wants banking secrecy to be lifted as it encourages and enables tax evasion, corruption and related crimes. She still blames the Sócrates government for the ‘notorious tax amnesties’ of 2005 and 2010 which, she says, were just money laundering schemes.
José Sócrates is not breaking any laws by appearing in public and expressing his opinion, but, like the former EC president Barroso, certainly can be accused of poor judgement.
