The program of the XXV Constitutional Government, presented today at the Assembleia da República by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Carlos Abreu Amorim, includes significant measures aimed at addressing regional disparities in Portugal.
In the chapter focused on Economy and Territorial Cohesion, the Government emphasizes that territorial cohesion cannot be achieved without reducing the regional asymmetries that persist in the country, and without promoting social and economic unity.
“Reducing regional asymmetries in Portugal demands a coordinated approach, informed by a precise understanding of existing territorial inequalities. The proposed measures form a strategic framework integrating various intervention levels and promoting the enhancement of local resources,” the document states.
Within this framework, the Government views the continuation of the decentralization process to municipalities and intermunicipal entities as crucial in enhancing local autonomy to rectify the economic and social imbalances present across the national territory.
In this process, the Government aims to equip municipalities, metropolitan areas, and intermunicipal communities with “significant competencies capable of effectively managing decentralized public services,” alongside the necessary human, material, and financial resources, as well as mechanisms for transparent accountability and evaluation.
The Government is also committed to addressing regional disparities to enhance the living conditions and well-being of citizens in less advantaged regions and to reduce economic and social inequalities between different areas of the country.
By 2027, the Government plans to introduce the “Pact for the Interior,” promoting an effective regional development policy that is locally based, inclusive, and sustainable.
“Intelligent territorial management,” as the Government describes, should prioritize “valorizing the interior, combating regional asymmetries, and promoting territorial cohesion as a national objective.”
To achieve this, the Government stresses the need for conditions that attract populations and businesses to low-density areas, requiring differentiated public policies ensuring access to services, infrastructure, and economic opportunities.
The Government also intends to revise the Financial Regime of Local Authorities and Intermunicipal Entities, thereby reinforcing municipal financial management autonomy.
According to the document, establishing a balanced territorial development model begins with strengthening local autonomy, emphasizing that the transfer of competencies should be matched with appropriate means, ensuring full exercise of new responsibilities with quality and equity throughout the territory.
“Modernizing the State requires a public administration that is closer, more agile, and effective. Deepening the reform of the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (CCDR) is essential to consolidate the process of administrative deconcentration, reinforcing their role as intermediary territorial coordination structures. Strengthening the CCDR is necessary to give direction and coherence to regional development,” the Government adds.
