The Livre party plans to vote against the State Budget in pursuit of a better country, expressing their vision for a more prosperous future. Isabel Mendes Lopes, announcing this stance, declared their determination to improve the lives of citizens through future budgets. As part of this effort, the party will present several “benevolent budget riders” starting tomorrow.
During the closing speech of the general debate on next year’s budget proposal, the parliamentary leader of Livre criticized the government’s attempt to impose what they described as the “end of budget riders.”
“In what seems to be the government’s technocratic view, a budget rider is considered an inappropriate element for inclusion in the State Budget due to purported technical and logistical assumptions,” she remarked.
For Livre, what the government labels as “budget riders” are actually meaningful measures proposed in previous budget stages that significantly impact people’s daily lives. Examples include the National Railway Pass, the four-day workweek pilot project, unemployment benefits for domestic violence victims, and increased child benefits.
In the next year’s budget document, Livre intends to introduce numerous proposals, termed “benevolent budget riders” by their party.
“These proposals aim to assist parents of children with cancer or chronic illnesses to spend more time with their families. They call for a reduction in VAT and advocate for a genuine housing policy that does not favor landlords charging 2,300 euros in rent,” the deputy outlined.
Livre also seeks to continue testing a four-day workweek both in public administration and private sector companies, ensure sufficient resources for the SNS 24 hotline, and offer real incentives for those wishing to live in interior regions to avoid being forced to leave.
“This parliament has the responsibility not to neglect or undermine the State Budget’s specialty process. Livre takes this responsibility seriously. Let us all in this parliament meet this responsibility,” she urged.
