Socrates: lost power two years ago.
Reuters/Lisbon
Portuguese state television channel RTP’s plan to give former premier Jose Socrates a weekly commentary spot has sparked outrage, with 100,000 people signing a petition citing his “bad management” that led the country to take a bailout in 2011.
“We, citizens and tax-payers, declare that we reject the presence of former prime minister Jose Socrates on any programme at RTP, television paid for by public funds of taxpayers suffering from the bad management of this gentleman,” the Internet petition said.
Many comments said the plan was “shameful”.
A counter-petition in favour of Socrates’ TV commentary, to start next month, and defending the democratic right to free expression, garnered around 5,300 signatures yesterday.
That view was also backed by RTP director Paulo Ferreira who said he understood the controversy but “the pluralism of opinions in public media” was an important democratic principle.
He would not reveal the details of the deal, but Diario de Noticias newspaper said Socrates would be working for free.
By gathering more than 4,000 signatures, both petitions will have to be discussed by parliament.
Socrates’ Socialist government collapsed two years ago amid an escalating debt crisis, and one of his last decisions was to request a bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, forcing the country to implement tough austerity and structural reforms.
Since then, Socrates has mostly lived in Paris, attending a university course.