olympic games and carlos lopez
- The Paris Olympics are over. As for Portugal, two words are in order: greetings and congratulations.
- A tribute to the athletes who participated. With or without medals, everyone gave their best. And they achieved their goal: 4 medals for Portugal.
- Congratulations to the medalists: Patricia Sampaio, Yuri Leitão, Rui Oliveira, Pedro Pichardo. They all have tremendous talent. But the gold medal was especially emotional. A great moment. Unexpected and historic. The first gold medal outside athletics. Yuri Leitão and Rui Oliveira were true heroes. They “messed” with the Portuguese.
- Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira got the last gold medal. The first, 40 years ago, was won by Carlos Lopez. So tomorrow he will be honored. Carlos Lopez is a great hero: as an athlete and as a citizen.
- A champion as an athlete. He won everything there was to win. In Portugal, at the European Championships, at the World Cup Finals, at the Olympics. When there wasn’t the support that there is today. When he was “injured” several times and never gave up. When he was run over three weeks before the Olympics in Los Angeles and he didn’t give up. And it wasn’t just talent. It was character and ambition. Carlos Lopez had 40 years ago what Cristiano Ronaldo has today: character and ambition.
- A hero as a citizen. He gained immense fame as an athlete. At home and abroad. But power never got to his head. He was never dazzling. He was always himself: simple, humble, generous, supportive. A great champion. In athletics, in life, and in citizenship.
Marcelo and the Government in Santa Maria
- Some were surprised to see the president and prime minister together at a ceremony at Santa Maria Hospital, amid a week of serious health problems. This may not be usual behavior. But it makes all the difference.
- First, this is the proper role of public relations: to help the country solve its problems. To encourage the government to be active and dynamic. To focus attention on the issues that really matter to the people. The president is there to be useful to the country and health is a basic necessity.
- Secondly, the PR is consistent. Marcelo, for many years, helped the governments of Antonio Costa. There were occasions when he literally took the Socialist government “in his arms”. It is natural that now he also cooperates with the government of Luis Montenegro. Above all because it is a minority government. Therefore, more dangerous.
- Moreover, this type of performance is not unique to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Mário Soares did the same between 1985 and 1987, with the minority government then headed by Cavaco Silva. Jorge Sampaio did the same between 1995 and 1999, with the minority government then headed by António Guterres. In all these cases, there is a presidential pattern: it is important to have a public relations representative who is an effective ally of the Portuguese, which often requires them to be on the side of the government to help serve the country. Without ceasing to be an arbiter of national politics.
Emergency Crisis
- The age-old problem with obstetric emergencies is a reality. But why? Is it a lack of funding? Is there a shortage of obstetricians in the country? Or is it a lack of organisation and management in the NHS?
- OECD figures and facts demand this thinking. Let’s see:
- Financing: From 2015 to 2024, financing for social safety nets increased from €9 billion to €15 billion. An increase of 67%. But the situation has not improved. Which proves that the problem is not a lack of money. The problem is a problem of organization and management.
- Obstetricians: per 100,000 inhabitants, Portugal is on average for the EU. Better even than rich countries, such as France and the Netherlands. The problem lies again in the management, organization and attractiveness of the SNS to retain its professionals.
- The number of obstetricians has increased. In 2000 there were 1,336. In 2022, there were 1,966. Although in the same period, there were fewer births. They fell from 120,000 to 84,000. More obstetricians, fewer births, however, the crisis in the sector proves once again that there is a problem with organization and resource management.
- Obstetricians to births ratio. In 2000, there were 11 obstetricians per 1,000 births. In 2021, there were 24 obstetricians per 1,000 births. Further evidence that the system does not know how to manage and organize the resources it has well.
- Finally, there is a regional disparity. The biggest problems in the NHS are mainly in the south rather than the north of the country. Now, the difference is not in the health professionals. They are competent all over the country, and the difference again lies in the organisation and management of resources. This is a subject worth studying.
- Changing the rules of organization and management in the SNS requires time, stability and a will to reform. This should lead to a system agreement between the Socialist Party and the General Directorate of Security. There are no easy or quick solutions. It is time to tell the truth and not create false illusions or exaggerated expectations.
Waiting lists have been restored.
- At a time of crisis in the NHS, with the problem of obstetric emergencies, two important measures have been underestimated in relation to restoring waiting lists.
- First, restore the waiting lists for oncology patients. The number of oncology patients has reached 9,374. The health emergency program has indicated the end of next August as the deadline for its implementation. Okay then. The current results are clearly positive: as of July 31, more than 7,400 oncology operations (79%) have been performed. In a month, the goal may finally be achieved.
- Second, recovery from other urgent surgeries due to exceeding the clinically acceptable deadline: 74,673. The deadline for completing this part of the plan is the end of the year. However, as of July 31, more than 21,000 surgeries (28%) have already been performed. It is also possible to achieve the promised challenge within the expected deadline.
- However, it must be said: the health emergency plan has generated enormous expectations. This is all the more reason to have someone in front of you who acts as a manager and communicator. Without management, the plan is liable to fail. Without communication, the country will not be aware of it and its results.
Youth unemployment
- The Minister of Labor and Social Security presented a package of measures and incentives with a main concern: youth unemployment. This concern is quite reasonable:
- Youth unemployment in Portugal is 3.6 times higher than general unemployment: 22% among youth compared to 6.1% in the general unemployment rate.
- We are the fifth worst country for youth unemployment in the EU. Our youth unemployment rate is well above the European average (7 percentage points).
- So the minister’s concern is quite logical.
- However, in this ministry, as in many others, there is a fundamental issue: it is one thing for the measures that the government announces; it is another thing for the measures to reach people and companies. The truth is that announcements often do not get off the ground. The influence of bureaucracy that taints everything.
- And the complaints are more than many. In social security, complaints are filed daily. I am not saying that it is the fault of the employees. But the minister should pay attention. And in the areas of environment, energy or taxes, complaints are repeated.
- Here I would like to make a concrete suggestion: the Prime Minister should convene an extraordinary Council of Ministers only to assess, on a case-by-case basis, whether the announced measures are actually reaching people and companies. This would certainly be a useful and fruitful exercise.
US elections
- First note: Tim Walz was chosen as the vice presidential candidate. It was a safe choice. The choice of the Pennsylvania governor was the most likely and probably the one that would secure victory in that crucial state. But, being Jewish, there was a risk that Kamala would lose the most active base of Democrats, which is heavily mobilized for the Palestinian cause. Tim Walz, who is less well known, has no antibodies and is highly regarded. swing states From the midwest.
- Point two: After Biden’s departure, Republicans are still without a strategy. Very much adrift. And Trump can be seen to be confused. Getting involved in the racial issue was a mistake. It may have cost him many African-American votes. But it is better not to underestimate that.
- Note 3: The ballot box. Kamala is starting to gain ground in the global vote, but she’s still trailing in the electoral college. Like this:
- The average of New York Times polls published daily gives Kamala (48%) a lead over Trump (47%).
- One of the latest polls (Ipsos/Reuters) clearly shows the dynamics in favor of the Democrats: on July 30, the margin was narrow in Kamala’s favor (43% to 42%); on August 8, the gap increased significantly (42% to 37%).
- Despite this improvement in the overall vote, Trump still leads in the Electoral College (287 delegates to Kamala’s 251). However, Kamala’s recovery relative to Biden is remarkable.
- Everything is up for grabs. This month’s Democratic convention and televised debates will be the next big moments.
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