WHERE IS OUR WELFARE STATE?

WHERE IS OUR WELFARE STATE? The "Welf State" refers to the form of state organization that assumes responsibility for ensuring the social well-being of its citizens through social security, health, education, and other support policies. We have no doubt that Montenegro (PSD), prime minister of our country's current government, is on a path of accelerated destruction of the National Health Service (SNS), one of the cornerstones of our Welfare State. Life shakes us up, shakes us up in so many ways, that I don't even know how we're here, but we are! And each in our own way, we find a way to survive. That's what we've been doing so far! What are Montenegro and his team trying to destroy, among other things? The availability of healthcare in public hospitals, health centers, and partner clinics, and access to medication, the social security system that includes pensions (old age, disability, and survivors' benefits) and social benefits, the possibility of studying in public schools, from preschool to higher education, including scholarships and financial support, social programs tailored to specific needs (e.g., daycare centers and leisure centers for the youngest, nursing homes, day centers, and home support services for the elderly, services for people with disabilities, support for victims of violence, programs to combat poverty and social exclusion, such as social inclusion and food assistance, and services for the integration of immigrants and refugees). In Portuguese society, the Welfare State has become a political asset that we must defend and promote, enabling all people to have the capacity and freedom to make the choices they consider essential for a dignified life and to obtain what they value. Therefore, it is crucial that the Welfare State be a priority and that the necessary adjustments continue to be made to address the challenges arising from phenomena such as demographics, globalization, and migration flows. We are clearly aware that the idea that the Welfare State creates a culture of dependency for certain people is "proliferating." This is not true. Social benefits are not generous enough to encourage inactivity, although we know that some people "take advantage" of the oversight agency's incompetence—there is no oversight!