On Monday, Portugal's Green Party called for further protests and support for the general strike on Wednesday, declaring the German chancellor "persona non grata" in Portugal, while accusing her of being "one of the great advocates of austerity policies in Europe."
In a statement online, the Greens promised to "take to the streets" and "motivate the population" by distributing leaflets denouncing the "aggressions and misdeeds of austerity policies being imposed on Portugal and the Portuguese people." The ecologist party called the televised statements of Merkel on RTP "totally unacceptable and are an affront to the sovereignty of Portugal and the Portuguese people."
BUSINESS LEADERS SUMMIT
Merkel later joined an all-day Luso-German business entrepreneurs summit held at the Centro Cultural de Belem where Economy Minister Alvaro Santos Pereira urged Portugal, "not to turn away from its responsibilities."
In a speech to a packed auditorium, Santos Pereira said, "In recent months, we have united in rolling up our sleeves and are fulfilling our responsibilities. We made mistakes in the past, and today we are paying the bill." The minister added, "It is now time for Brussels to "repay the efforts of austerity in Portugal with a tax that can be more attractive and competitive for new investments without impacting the budget."
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