This position was conveyed by the president of the PSD Parliamentary Group, Hugo Soares, in statements to journalists at the Assembly of the Republic, broadcast live by RTP, with the parliamentary leader of the CDS-PP, Paulo Núncio, at his side.

"We will follow up on all requests for hearings. Total transparency, total scrutiny," said Hugo Soares, after being confronted with requests from the Liberal Initiative and the PS for Ana Jorge, who was dismissed by the Government from her duties as ombudsperson of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, and also the Minister of Labour, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, to be heard in parliament.

Speaking to journalists, the president of the Social Democratic parliamentary group stated that the PS was responsible, as Government and as supervising entity, over the last eight years, "for the state that the Santa Casa da Misericórdia [de Lisboa] has reached, with a break in the treasury, with a failure to comply with its most basic social action of protecting the most disadvantaged".

"The PS, as the entity responsible for all this, instead of being concerned about the situation of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, is concerned about what the PS has given the country lessons in: the appointment of 'boys' throughout the administration, including for these positions. I would like to say on behalf of the PSD parliamentary group, and the CDS, to the Portuguese people, that they can rest assured. Our concern is not to appoint people who have party connections. Our concern is to appoint the best people to manage what belongs to everyone," he countered.

Hugo Soares then argued that "the situation at the Santa Casa [da Misericórdia de Lisboa] is very serious".

"There was a virtual break in the treasury in June last year. The ombudsperson did not take any measures, did not present any measures to the supervising entity and this is the reason underlying the dismissal". A point that, according to Hugo Soares, "the minister will have the opportunity to explain".

"We will follow up on all requests for hearings here in parliament, regardless of who they are from, on this matter. But I would like to make an appeal to the PS from here to keep its feet on the ground, to assume its responsibilities, not to confuse us, because we do not govern like the PS," added the PSD parliamentary leader.

Today, at a press conference, the PS argued that the dismissal of the ombudsperson of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, Ana Jorge, has the sole purpose of placing in office "people who are more politically aligned and tameable" by the PSD Government.

"The Government is creating a set of cases that have the sole purpose of replacing people who are more politically aligned, more tameable by the PSD Government," argued the vice-president of the PS Parliamentary Group, Tiago Barbosa Ribeiro, in a statement to journalists at the headquarters of the socialists in Porto.

Ana Jorge took office on 2 May 2023, chosen by the previous socialist Government of António Costa, and inherited an institution with serious financial difficulties, after the years of the pandemic and a process of internationalisation of social games, carried out by the administration of the ombudsperson Edmundo Martinho, which may have caused losses in the order of 50 million euros.

Leia Também: Santa Casa. PSD pede que PS meta "pés na terra" e assuma responsabilidade (Portuguese version)