Expressing his views to journalists during a visit to the Superior School of Theatre and Cinema (ESTC) in Lisbon, João Cotrim Figueiredo stated that the State Budget for 2026, approved this Thursday in the final global vote in the Assembly of the Republic, is intended to “not cause waves”.
“And the situation in Portugal, and I could say in Europe, cannot afford not to make waves. We need, in fact, to change things and reform things structurally, and I challenge you to find in this budget any reform principle worthy of that name,” he declared.
The presidential candidate, supported by the IL, regretted that the budget debate ended on topics like the abolition of tolls or the freezing of tuition fees, highlighting that although these issues could be “very important for the day-to-day life of some fellow citizens,” “they are certainly not the fundamental reforms that the country needs.”
“Therefore, in that sense, I think it is a missed opportunity and, as President of the Republic, I will always insist on encouraging governments in office to have the courage to be reformist,” he promised.
João Cotrim Figueiredo spoke to journalists immediately after visiting an auditorium at ESCT, where some students were rehearsing music.
Upon leaving the auditorium, as Cotrim Figueiredo began addressing journalists, students played songs such as the signals of April 25 – “Grândola Vila Morena” or “Depois do Adeus” – and “Os Vampiros” by José Afonso, which grew louder as the statements continued.
After telling journalists that during his visit to ESCT, he expected “nothing more than music,” João Cotrim Figueiredo emphasized that his candidacy is the only one “that has culture as one of its pillars.”
“Culture, knowledge, and economic growth are the three ‘Cs’ of my candidacy, and the order is not indifferent. I believe a country that does not have its culture as the base not only of identity but of projection into the future, not only does not know where it comes from, but above all, cannot decide where it is going,” he stated.
Asked whether he believes a Government should have a minister exclusively for Culture, which is not the case in the current executive, Cotrim Figueiredo said he had a “somewhat controversial opinion” as he believes “the truly important issues are not confined within a ministry.”
“Indeed, the more they are concentrated within a ministry, the less important they are because it is just another ministry sitting at the budget table trying to defend its interests. Truly important issues need to be cross-cutting to all ministries,” he said, arguing that the more culture is concentrated within a ministry, “the more it seems that there is only one responsible for that matter within the Government.”
In these statements to journalists, Cotrim Figueiredo also criticized a poll released this Thursday by Expresso and SIC that places him at 3%, calling it “absolutely unbelievable” and identifying several technical issues, including a response rate hovering around “27%.”
The presidential candidate stated he is not criticizing the poll because it results in a positive or negative outcome for him, but because it contradicts all others that have emerged, giving him “a result lower than he had before announcing his candidacy.”
“The question I ask is: is this a technical error that those responsible need to explain, or is it somehow an attempt to justify that strategic voting should, from now on, start playing a role in these elections?” he questioned.
