Austerity plans enrage Portuguese military

the people and military united 25th April 1974

Ralf Streck works as an independent correspondent for Radio Dreyeckland. Here he looks at a new phenomenon in Portugese political life – the re-emergence of military associations on the side of the people. These associations are demanding the resignation of the conservative government. There are reports of similar developments in both the Greek and Spanish military.

On 20 March thousands of military personnel in Portugal will take to the streets to protest against the austerity measures and to call for the resignation of the conservative government. This is the result of a conference of about 500 representatives of various associations of officers, NCOs and soldiers. In the capital Lisbon, on Wednesday, a letter was adopted by acclamation as part of the protest in front of the government palace, São Bento, of Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho to whom the letter was presented.

“The country is in danger,” the president of the officers’ association (Aofa) said at the meeting. Manuel Pereira Cracel believes that the policy of the government erodes the “fundamentals” of Portugal, including the armed forces. “The military will be humiliated,” he added, to great applause of those present. Colonel Vasco Lourenço, in turn, said that “the country is on the way to the bottom”.

The military in recent years has repeatedly protested against cuts in the social welfare system and has participated in demonstrations and marches. The same happened last Saturday, when military personnel took part in the protests.  Lourenço found clear words to say on the direction of the government. “I hope that policy-makers have the common sense to understand the signals that come from Portuguese society and the military, and opt for a change of direction.”

“To hell with the troika” was the motto under which the Indignados movement claims to have about 1.5 million people out on the streets of this small country. Representatives of the troika of the European Commission, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB) were again in the country to review the implementation of the austerity and privatization conditions which Portugal made in the context of emergency relief for 2011, to the amount of 78 billion euros. New savings are demanded of Portugal, totalling four billion euros.

Colonel Vasco Lourenço

Lourenço’s words have special importance in the country and in the armed forces. He was one of the “captains”, who on the 25th April 1974, as part of the Carnation Revolution, peacefully overthrew the dictatorship and brought democracy to Portugal. Today’s anti-austerity  protesters bask in the tradition of the Carnation Revolution. On Saturday thousands sang  the revolutionary song “Grândola, Vila Morena”, this is the song that in the period of the  the dictatorship was forbidden. When it was played on national radio it was the signal for the coup.

Once again it has been made clear how the military – during the general strike in November last year – was on the side of the people. The government was accused of selling the country to the international financial markets. Lourenço hopes that the “crimes” now  being committed do not remain unpunished – by which he means the high levels of unemployment which bring about a  massive depletion of the country.

Many of the military have previously shown solidarity with the citizens against ever-new savings plans, tax increases, cuts of social benefits and wage cuts, in the face of further austerity measures. The government now wants to save 218 million euros from the military. “The pension fund is about to go bankrupt,” said Luis Reis. The president of the union soldiers (AP) believes that the government has tapped the fund. It is known that the government of Coelho has in the last two years shifted billions from pension funds in the state budget in order to reduce the budget deficit with these tricks.

Lima Coelho, president of the National Association of Sergeants (ANS) invoked the right to resistance, as in Article 21 of the Portuguese Constitution. In a debate on the situation of the military most questions concerned wages and taxes. “We’ve always been a punch bag”, lamented one captain referring to wage cuts. “Our Government is full of euphemisms, it speaks of an extraordinary ‘solidarity’ contribution. When solidarity is imposed is not solidarity, it is theft,” said a retired Sergeant Major, who received loud applause.

Article 21 reads: Right of resistance
Everyone shall possess the right to resist any order that infringes their rights, freedoms or guarantees and, when it is not possible to resort to the public authorities, to use force to repel any aggression.