Upon arriving for a campaign event in Lourinhã, Lisbon district, José Luís Carneiro was questioned about the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026), a proposal approved on Friday by the Council of Ministers, and about the Socialist Party’s willingness to support the document from Luís Montenegro’s government.
“It’s easier [to support it] considering that the government and the prime minister have set aside issues that were vital to us, particularly labor rights, the National Health Service, social protection, and, if you will, fiscal policy,” he stated.
However, the PS leader initially cautioned about the budget proposal, as it will bring a “permanent loss throughout 2026” for pensioners with lower incomes, specifically those earning up to 520 euros.
“If we extract the Solidarity Supplement for Elders from the pension values, there will be a loss which, for example, for pensions around 300 euros, means five euros less per month, which amounts to about 70 euros less per year,” he calculated.
He urged “the government to pay the greatest attention” to this matter, as it represents a “long-term income loss for pensioners.”
“The budget deserves analysis, and we will carry out the analysis that should be done when it is presented in the Assembly of the Republic. However, I viewed positively the fact that the prime minister reaffirmed his desire to exclude from the budget fiscal matters, as well as labor issues, matters related to the National Health Service base law, and issues concerning pensions and social protection,” he emphasized.
