In a statement, the PCP considers that the drop in the supply of electricity that was experienced in Portugal requires “measures that contribute to the rapid restoration of supply”, with priority given to “essential services for the population”, such as health, transport, education or security.

The party also calls for a “rigorous investigation into the causes of this failure” and for the identification of “options available to guarantee energy security and sovereignty in Portugal in the future”.

“The situation also requires a rapid assessment of the impacts and resulting losses, as well as measures to repair damage and support affected sectors,” he says.

For the PCP, the blackout exposed “vulnerabilities and problems in the national electricity system in terms of sovereignty, security, production, distribution and respective management and control, which are inseparable from privatization and liberalization policies, with the separation of production, distribution and commercialization”.

“Given this situation, it is essential to reassess both market mechanisms and the degree of dependence and interconnection with third countries (namely Spain), as well as the country's effective capacity to respond to energy supply needs in emergency situations such as this in the various regions of the country”, it reads.

The party adds that “the exceptional situation of full reservoirs, with hydroelectric production capacity practically at maximum, cannot minimize this assessment, especially when thermoelectric production ends coinciding with long periods of drought”.

The PCP argues that “submission to a context of external dependence and a liberalized market” constitutes “a factor of insecurity for the country”.

“All of this calls for a reversal of the policy of national abdication of strategic sectors and the guarantee of an articulated, coherent and effective functioning of the national electrical system”, argues the PCP, which recalls that there were countries, such as France or Germany, that “recently decided on measures aimed at the total or partial recovery of public control of this sector”.

“Portugal must also assume this objective”, they consider.

The PCP says that, at the meeting of the conference of parliamentary leaders this Tuesday, it will request the scheduling of an urgent debate on this topic at the Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday.