The Minister for the Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, deemed the Socialist Party’s (PS) abstention in the State Budget vote, which will lead to the document’s approval, as “a responsible position by the PS.”
“The Budget itself does not justify a vote of rejection by the Socialist Party. It would be a signal of irresponsibility from the PS, so close to the elections and following a municipal victory, to raise a question of the country’s governance. I commend it. And I expected nothing else,” the minister said in an interview with SIC Notícias.
The minister was also asked if he anticipated this behavior from this particular PS leader, José Luís Carneiro. He responded affirmatively: “I think he has enough experience and deliberation to understand the historical and political moment we’re living in.”
In addition to praising the PS secretary-general, Castro Almeida noted that Carneiro’s move was also “a matter of survival.” “The country wouldn’t understand any other position. It’s also a matter of survival. He must be aligned with his electorate and the country. And the country desires nothing more than to let the Government work,” he argued.
It was revealed on Wednesday night that the PS secretary-general would propose to the National Political Commission that the party abstain in this vote. During the campaign for the municipal elections, José Luís Carneiro had already opened the door to this viability, assuring then that he would respect and honor the word given to the Portuguese people to “contribute to political stability.”
After the proposal was put forward and the meeting took place within this body, the promise materialized, with the announcement regarding the party’s position on the State Budget for 2026 being made. According to the PS leader, there was a “general manifestation of support” for his abstention proposal, which he characterized as a “demanding abstention” towards a budget “that is not PS’s” and to which he made several criticisms.
