António Nunes: "Seeing firefighters at traffic lights with outstretched hands begging is a sign of poverty of our democracy"
PoliticsLeiria

António Nunes: "Seeing firefighters at traffic lights with outstretched hands begging is a sign of poverty of our democracy"

SAPO Notícias28 August 2026 at 08:14

António Nunes, president of the Portuguese Firefighters League, argues that firefighters need a national command, stable funding, and an integrated response based on cooperation between emergency forces. These are his main demands for improving the civil protection system in Portugal.

The official warns that the current situation of resource scarcity and unfulfilled promises represents a vulnerability for the country. In an interview or public statement, Nunes uses a powerful image to illustrate his position: seeing firefighters begging with outstretched hands at traffic lights is, according to him, a sign of poverty of Portuguese democracy.

The president of the Portuguese Firefighters League directs criticism at political promises that have been postponed since the Pedrógão Grande tragedy in 2017. This event, which caused more than a hundred deaths, should have been the starting point for a profound reformulation of the rural firefighting system, but the promised measures have not advanced consistently.

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