The minister who negotiated on behalf of the Government with the opposition regarding the State Budget 2026 described himself as a “30-year friend” of the PS secretary-general. He issued a warning about the upcoming specifics, stating, “It makes no sense to approve a budget with frameworks, limits, and bases, only to later approve amendments in the specifics that will unbalance it.”
“The current PS leader, whom I’ve been friends with for 30 years, remains a moderate man. I do not believe he shares the [negative] views of other parties on the state budget,” Carlos Abreu Amorim said during a gathering at the Clube dos Pensadores held in a hotel in Vila Nova de Gaia today.
When asked if the “Government is trying to steal flags from Chega,” the minister denied this, arguing that “they came towards” the social-democratic proposals on issues of nationality and immigration.
Regarding André Ventura’s party, the Government member stated that Chega’s terminology “is part of a political strategy that simplifies large issues into simple problems.”
The minister admitted, however, having “difficulty understanding what Chega wants [by abstaining from the vote in general terms],” though he comprehends that the far-right party’s “vocation is to oppose” and that “it has not yet moved towards a constructive approach.”
On the subject of the State’s reform agenda, Carlos Abreu Amorim revealed that it “will be presented soon,” and concerning the issue dominating much of the debate phase—Health—he warned that “increasing investment does not translate into improved performance.”
“I’m not saying all problems are inherited; it’s a structural issue that persists government after government, decade after decade,” the minister argued, recalling that former PSD leader Rui Rio “proposed a Health pact that was rejected by the leftist parties.”
Also questioned about the Government’s communication capabilities, Carlos Abreu Amorim disclosed that “a communication strategy is being devised,” admitting “there is a communication deficit in the current Government.”
