and endless denunciations of Otelo. Having previously supported Spinola and then Costa Gomes, actively collaborated with the bourgeois parties both inside and outside of successive governments, played a major role in undermining workers' struggles, and acted in the most sectarian fashion towards the Socialist Party - all in order to The new government, with Mario Soares as Prime Minister and formed by the Socialist Party (although it is possible that Soares will also invite non-SP members to join his government) will take over from the Sixth Provisional Government in about two weeks. While the full programme of this government has yet to be revealed, its general direction is clear. Already a devaluation of the escudo is envisaged to the order of 30-35 per cent, thus severely attacking workers living standards Both Eanes and Soares - not to speak of the CDS and the PPD - are calling for more work, greater pro ductivity, the necessity to combat inflation, the importance of attracting foreign capital 'for the creation of new jobs, the need to strengthen "law and order" - all generally collected together under the slogan of 'Rebuild the Country'.
Police Specifically this means isolating and defeating the workers vanguard opposing the confirmation or renewar or tne coucclive Dargaling agreements, and the establishment of a national police force through the fusion of the GN and the PSP which have been responsible for a number of workers' deaths during the past six months. It means launching an attack on workers As far as the forces around Otelo are concerned, the coming months will see their increasing disillusionment and dispersal. None of the groups which supported Otelo has sufficient political strength to organise even a part of these forces.
Otelo himself has called for a conference of all the support groups formed in the localities during his campaign in an attempt. to draw these forces together. But this project is doomed to failure for without even the beginnings of a programme or a unifying political line (apart from general anti-fascism and support for "Popular Power') these groups will quickly fall apart.
There thus exists the danger that a certain demoralisation will take place in the vanguard in the coming months, which could have the effect of undermining the willingness of many workers and peasants to move onto the offensive once the project of the SP government becomes clear. In this situation it is all the more necessary that the forthcoming national congress of trade unions, to be held in November, is as representative and as democratic as possible; for it is through such a congress that the Portuguese workers will be able to take up the vital questions of a workers' plan for the economy. for a workers' reply to the mounting attacks of the Portuguese capitalists