Unlike one of his predecessors, Cavaco Silva, who maintained he never made mistakes, Prime Minister Durão Barroso has confessed to making some miscalculations while leading the country. But, perhaps wisely, he has refused to name them.
“Everyone makes mistakes and that includes me. Nobody can say they got everything right,” said Barroso on the day his party celebrated the second anniversary of its election victory. Barroso also gave an insight into his decision-making process. “You have to evaluate what we have done in the light of information available at the time. Certainly, with the information that we have now, I would not have done everything the same way,” he said.
But Barroso said that, as far as leading the country is concerned, the essential thing now is not to change strategy. He believes that, “the house is already tidied”, but it is time to make a more vigorous push for economic growth. “I am absolutely certain that, by 2006, we will see the positive results of this course,” he concluded.
Barroso did not mark the second anniversary of his accession to power with a party. Instead, he faced a concerted opposition attack on his record in parliament.
