President Temer not worried about popularity

President Michel Temer stated he is not worried about the initial assessment of his government. The statement was made today (Dec. 16) during a lunch meeting with Armed Forces officials on the latest opinion poll conducted by the National Confederation of Industry. In the survey, 46% of the respondents rated Temer's administration as bad or terrible, against 13% who regard it as good or great, and 35% who described it as OK.

“The right path we've taken is not always the most popular one at a given moment, but our commitment is not one of seeking immediate applause, or approval at all costs. Our responsibility is to unravel the knots that have jeopardized growth in our economy,” he declared, arguing he is “acting with discipline and in compliance with rules tested and consolidated.”

Temer argued he could—and it would be more comfortable—not to bring forth such controversial opinions during the less than two years remaining in his tenure; but the times, he said, “demand courage.”

The president stressed that “there is no longer room for witchcraft. Printing out money, cosmetic accounting, manipulating prices. We're facing up to our problems and sorting them out now, or the State will break.”

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira