The Regional Directorate of Alentejo of the PCP criticized the political maneuvers intended to distract from essential issues and shift mutual responsibilities between the PS and PSD regarding delays in the intervention. This comes after the Alentejo Regional Coordination and Development Commission confirmed the revision of funding for the modernization and electrification of the railway line between Casa Branca and Beja. Initially set at 80 million euros, the budget was reduced to 20 million under the Alentejo 2030 regional operational program.
The decision was communicated at a meeting on December 2 in Évora between the management committee of Alentejo 2030, Infraestruturas de Portugal, and the Intermunicipal Community of Baixo Alentejo, which includes 13 of the 14 municipalities in the Beja district, excluding Odemira. António Ceia da Silva, president of CCDR Alentejo, explained that the program could not maintain the initial budget allocation as the project was not feasible within the current community support framework, ending in 2027.
The PCP emphasized the long-standing demands of the region’s populations for the modernization and electrification of the Casa Branca-Beja line, as well as for connecting to Beja Airport and modernizing the line between Beja and Funcheira. The PCP accused successive PS and PSD governments of ineffective propaganda and deferring necessary works, blaming both parties for delays in these investments.
The PCP highlighted that the 60 million euro funding reduction was decided during the reprogramming of the Alentejo 2030 program in September and October, approved by the program’s Monitoring Committee. This committee includes representatives from Infraestruturas de Portugal, various central administration departments, and intermunicipal communities, with the decision being supported by the governing authority.
The PCP called for clarification on each entity’s position within the Monitoring Committee amid the accusations and political maneuvers. The party also warned of long-predicted consequences from what it considers a top-down reprogramming to align with the European Union’s purported priorities. Additionally, the PCP accused social-democratic deputy Gonçalo Valente of deflecting the PSD government’s responsibilities after the parliamentary group requested hearings with key infrastructure officials in early December.
The PCP described the situation as a clear political ploy to obscure the core issues and possibly pave the way for announcing alternative funding solutions amid growing opposition.
