The Prime Minister today considered it essential to have the political conditions in place to go ahead with the high-speed train (TGV) this month and said that even rich countries won’t waste funding of 750 million euros.
António Costa made this warning in statements to journalists at the end of a visit to the future Estrela station of the Lisbon Metro, after being questioned about the possibility of there not being enough political consensus, namely with the PSD, for the country to take decisions this month on the future high-speed train line, at a time when the government is limited in its powers because it is in administration.
The Prime Minister began by saying that in 2023, this high-speed line between Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Vigo was not funded by the European Union “due to the lack of maturity of the project, namely because the tender was not launched”.
“We now have the opportunity to obtain funding of up to 750 million euros from the European Union if we have the tender open by the deadline for submitting applications, which is the end of January. I hope everyone understands the imperative need to launch the tender so that important funding is not wasted,” said the leader of the executive.
But António Costa went even further in his warnings about the alleged risks of a lack of decision on this matter in the short term.
“I know that sometimes we have the idea that because the economic situation today is better than it was a few years ago and because the budget situation is balanced, then anything is possible. Fortunately, today we have a greater degree of freedom and possibility, but no country, even the richest, can afford to waste funding of 750 million euros for a project that is structural for the country’s development,” he argued.
António Costa then went on to say that, in his view, “there is a consensus throughout the country on this [TGV] line and this priority” for the work between Lisbon and Vigo.
“That’s where we have to start, and we have to move forward,” he stressed.
Speaking to journalists, António Costa pointed out that, since 2015, government programs have stated that all major public works to be carried out in Portugal must be approved with a broad consensus, with the approval of at least two-thirds of the members of Parliament.
“That’s why we presented the National Investment Plan to parliament, defining the most important projects in the areas of mobility and the environment until the end of this decade. This plan was voted for by almost three quarters of the Assembly of the Republic,” he said.
The leader of the executive went on to say that a strategic environmental assessment has already been completed. “Therefore, the National Investment Plan has been defined, which includes the construction of a high-speed line between Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Vigo.”
“This is the priority line for the high-speed network in Portugal,” he added.
