'Government will have to face unpopular measures', says Mourão at an event at Fiesp.

247 - During an event at the Federation of Industries of São Paulo (Fiesp), this Tuesday (26), Vice President Hamilton Mourão (PRTB) gave a speech to please businessmen, who want the approval of the Social Security reform. He said that the government has to face taking unpopular measures.

"We have a price to pay in the short term. Our government will have to face unpopular measures. In the institution where I served for 46 years, we always said: the commander doesn't have to be applauded in the courtyard. The commander has to make decisions. So we will have to make decisions so that the country progresses in the long term. Therefore, we have to get it into people's heads that they have to abandon the idea that the state can do everything. Just keep the printing press running and produce the money," he said.

The vice president's statement comes amid a crisis with public exchanges of criticism between Jair Bolsonaro and the Speaker of the House, Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ), regarding the coordination of the pension reform.

"Will I get stoned? Yes, I will. That's part of political life. Everyone knows that my political experience is very limited, but common sense must prevail at times like these," added Mourão, who defended Bolsonaro, whom he called a "statesman."

"Bolsonaro is not and never will be a threat to democracy. He is a statesman. He is not thinking about the next elections. He is thinking about future generations. This is sincere," he assured.

Regarding the pension reform, Mourão said that the current model of the Continuous Benefit Payment (BPC) is unsustainable, although he stated that it will be a "fight" to change the model.

Mourão's statements about the BPC come on the same day that leaders of 11 parties signed a statement opposing the changes to the benefit, which are included in the text of the pension reform.

According to a Reuters report, the vice president also said that, under the current model, senior citizens can retire receiving a minimum wage at age 65, regardless of whether they have contributed to Social Security, which, in his view, discourages contributions.

Mourão also told business leaders that the pact established in the 1988 Constitution needs to be reviewed, especially regarding the budgetary model, and added that the population needs to understand that there are also obligations, not just rights.