Gouveia e Melo also considered that “Portugal must abandon corporate logic within the State and assign functions to entities with more preparation and capacity to act in disasters and crises.
“Civil Protection must be remodeled from top to bottom: it must be highly professionalized, free from political clientele and truly capable,” he said, remembering that in another article, last summer, he proposed the creation, in the Armed Forces, of a large unit, or even a new branch, dedicated to civil protection.”
In Gouveia e Melo’s opinion, the prime minister must create a ‘task force’, or a Mission Structure, but under his direct dependence, to put all ministries to work in an effectively coordinated way, with unity of purpose and command.
“The tasks of organization, coordination, communication and leadership must be directly dependent on this crisis structure. A logistical support structure must be created, with a central level of coordination and concentration, which feeds deconcentrated response posts among the affected populations”, he said.
Gouveia e Melo considered, among others, that all solidarity and community financing mechanisms must be activated, appropriate legislation produced to respond to the negative consequences of storms.
“We must create a regional and localized ‘Marshall Plan’ that recovers and develops,” he said.
Fifteen people have died in Portugal since January 28 following the passage of depressions Kristin, Leonardo and Marta, which also caused many hundreds of injuries and displacement.
The total or partial destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, the fall of trees and structures, the closure of roads, schools and transport services, and the cut of energy, water and communications, floods and floods are the main material consequences of the storm.
The Centro, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and Alentejo regions are the most affected.
The Government extended the calamity situation until the 15th for 68 municipalities and announced support measures of up to 2.5 billion euros.
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