During a press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting, António Leitão Amaro addressed the announcement made by the Socialist Party’s secretary-general, José Luís Carneiro, early Wednesday morning. Carneiro declared a “demanding abstention” on the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026) to “ensure the political stability” of the country, despite criticizing the government’s budget proposal.
“I believe this is a budget that has all the conditions to be approved by the major Portuguese parties. In that sense, one has already expressed such intention, and we welcome this,” stated António Leitão Amaro.
When asked if the government felt relieved by the document’s general approval, Leitão Amaro redirected this sentiment to the Portuguese people.
“I think the relief that might exist belongs to the Portuguese people, knowing that we are not heading towards a political crisis or elections, which nobody wanted,” he said.
Leitão Amaro appreciated the Socialist Party’s “sense of responsibility” but disconnected its abstention from any governance responsibility.
“The approval does not make the parties responsible for the governance, nor does it make them authors of public policies decided at another time,” he emphasized.
According to the minister, with this budget, the parties that facilitate it merely “agree to levy taxes and other revenues and to spend in order to fulfill what Portuguese laws already mandated, with or without their support.”
“As for the justifications each one finds for their vote, I leave that with them,” he remarked, without commenting on the “demanding abstention” described by the socialists.
