The positions were transmitted in Parliament shortly after the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, announced that the Government had approved the construction of the new airport for the Lisbon region in Alcochete, following the recommendation of the Independent Technical Commission (CTI).

"This decision proves that voting for PS or PSD is the same. We are facing a decision by the Central Bloc that is only political", declared the PAN deputy, Inês de Sousa Real, who considered "clearly outdated" the reports that served as the basis for the Independent Technical Commission (CTI) to point out Alcochete as the best solution for the future Lisbon airport.

"It makes no sense to talk about a medium-term solution, since the quality of life and environmental quality are not considered. We cannot have decisions of this magnitude that will seriously affect one of the largest freshwater basins in the country", she justified.

On behalf of the parties that support the Government, the PSD and the CDS-PP, the two parliamentary leaders, Hugo Soares and Paulo Núncio, respectively, classified the Government's decision to build the new airport, together with the third Tagus crossing and the high-speed rail link to Madrid, as "historic".

Hugo Soares pointed out that the PSD was at the origin of the decision now implemented when it was still in the opposition, by agreeing with António Costa's executive on a methodology for choosing the location. But he also made a point of pointing out that this was not the solution of the then Minister of Infrastructure and current Secretary-General of the PS, Pedro Nuno Santos.

"Pedro Nuno Santos wanted to first build an airport in Montijo and only then, at the end of the line, in Alcochete. An unthinkable solution. It was big and French", he commented, before Paulo Núncio stressed that the decision of the PSD/CDS-PP executive shows "a Government that is governing".

The Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), Pedro Nuno Santos, stated that he "supports the decision" of the Government to locate the future airport in Alcochete. "I never had any doubts that Alcochete was the best location for the future airport", he said, at the party's headquarters, adding: "We welcome the decision".

According to Pedro Nuno Santos, "the Socialist Party supports the decision that the Government made to follow the recommendations of the Independent Technical Commission (CTI)", emphasizing that "a future PS government will never question this decision, which is the correct decision".

The president of Chega, André Ventura, held the PS responsible for the decades-long impasse on the issue of building the new airport, praised the Government for intending to name the new airport infrastructure after Luís de Camões, but criticized the Prime Minister for not having presented any details on the reasons for choosing Alcochete and excluding other options.

"What is the reason for the first runway only being built in 13 years? How much more will be spent with this decision? What is the schedule for the construction? Well, none of this was explained", he pointed out.

André Ventura even said that the CTI was suspected of benefiting Alcochete for the location of the new airport and that "the Government did not explain the reason for choosing that location".

Already Rui Rocha, leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL), decided to send 'barbs' to the socialist secretary-general, saying that the announcement about the airport "constitutes the third defeat" of Pedro Nuno Santos "in this matter".

"The first happened when António Costa revoked Pedro Nuno Santos' decision to proceed with the simultaneous construction of Montijo and Alcochete [and] the second happened when the Independent Technical Commission considered the Montijo option that Pedro Nuno Santos tried to promote unfeasible", Rocha pointed out.

The liberal also joked, emphasizing that "being disowned by two governments (one of which he was part of) and by a Technical Commission is something that not everyone can do".

A decisão hoje anunciada sobre o novo Aeroporto constitui a terceira derrota de Pedro Nuno Santos nesta matéria.

A primeira aconteceu quando António Costa revogou a decisão de Pedro Nuno Santos de avançar para a construção simultânea de Montijo e Alcochete.

A segunda aconteceu…

— Rui Rocha (@ruirochaliberal) May 14, 2024

The coordinator of the Left Bloc, Mariana Mortágua, considered that the option for Alcochete was overdue, because it is "the most obvious and consensual". Then, she expressed doubts about the process that is being followed by Luís Montenegro's executive.

"The main question is to know what compensation, what conditions were promised to the multinational Vinci, owner of ANA Aeroportos de Portugal", she said.

Mariana Mortágua recalled the opposition that the already privatized ANA has made in relation to the Alcochete solution and that this company legally has powers in matters related to the construction of the new airport.

"What compensation and what conditions will be given to ANA? Will the third Tagus crossing be a PPP (Public-Private Partnership)? Portugal cannot continue to be tied to millionaire multinationals that have impoverished the State's coffers. We want clarifications", she stressed.

On behalf of the PCP, the deputy António Filipe stressed that the PCP has defended "for many years the solution for Alcochete", with the construction of a third Tagus crossing and the TGV connection to Madrid, and that it has always opposed the Portela +1 solution with Montijo.

But António Filipe saw in the Prime Minister's statements a "worrying" sign, when he promised priority to the expansion of the current Humberto Delgado airport in Portela. "These expansion works cannot mean that the works for the construction of the Alcochete airport are delayed", he warned.

The spokesperson for Livre, Rui Tavares, said he agreed with the Alcochete solution for the construction of the new airport, but warned that the land that will be freed up in Portela, in Lisbon, should not be used for speculation, but to contribute to the resolution of the housing crisis and the energy transition.

The reactions of the former Prime Ministers

Former Prime Minister António Costa today welcomed the "democratic maturity" of the Government led by Luís Montenegro, which approve>