Member of Parliament Carlos Abreu Amorim expressed this view at a parliamentary meeting, which addressed the upcoming State Budget for 2026, along with discussions on the revision of immigration law, local administrative divisions, and Middle East foreign policy.
Present at the meeting from the government were the Ministers of State and Finance Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, Presidency António Leitão Amaro, and Parliamentary Affairs Carlos Abreu Amorim. The State and Foreign Affairs Minister, Paulo Rangel, participated via videoconference.
The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs sought to downplay conflicts between the government and the Socialist Party (PS) during this introductory meeting, with the Socialist delegation led by Parliamentary Group President Eurico Brilhante Dias.
Amorim also proposed a possibility for political consensus with the Socialists on revising the immigration law, recently ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court, while issuing a cautionary note.
Carlos Abreu Amorim stated that the PSD/CDS coalition government is very interested in reaching an agreement with the PS on immigration law. However, he cautioned that the government would not deviate from its primary objectives to resolve “an inherited problem.”
Speaking to journalists, Amorim mentioned that the nationality law revision was not directly covered in the meeting with the PS. Focus instead was on the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the immigration law, veto powers, and ways to address these issues in a manner satisfactory to all, while obviously respecting the Constitution and the court’s decision.
“The government is fully committed to developing solutions but will not stray—let this be very clear—from essential goals. These are attempts to resolve an inherited issue that we will not let worsen, as we believe this represents the will of the majority of Portuguese citizens,” he explained.
Regarding the State Budget, Carlos Abreu Amorim deferred to Minister of State and Finance Joaquim Miranda Sarmento for details on the government’s economic growth forecasts for 2025 and 2026. The PS had earlier stated these were below the projections outlined in the PSD/CDS electoral program.
The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs emphasized that progress is being made on budget matters. “We sincerely hope that seriousness and democratic clarity will prevail and that the PS may support the State Budget. There were moments of great convergence and some natural democratic divergence, as expected,” he noted.
After the initial meeting with the PS, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister observed that it was “constructive and conclusive.”
“In the same manner as our previous meetings last Wednesday with Chega, Livre, and Iniciativa Liberal, we maintained a high level of seriousness and responsibility. The PS listened to the government’s proposals, with moments of agreement and disagreement, which is perfectly normal in such meetings,” he concluded.
Carlos Abreu Amorim mentioned the government will still consult the PCP on some matters under review.
“We will also hear the parliamentary groups supporting the government [PSD/CDS], as well as single deputies [BE, JPP, and PAN] next week. This will complete the first phase of consultations,” he added.
