The leader of IL, Mariana Leitão, met today with the Prime Minister at his official residence in São Bento to discuss negotiations concerning the upcoming State Budget, urging Luís Montenegro to “have the courage to implement solutions that truly address people’s problems.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, Leitão advocated for the inclusion of measures in the 2026 budget to tackle the housing crisis and increase housing availability, such as “an effective reduction in VAT on construction” and “a reduction in taxes on rental income.”
“There are no houses, and we need measures that allow more houses to be built, but also measures on the rental market side to have more houses available immediately,” she stated.
Speaking to journalists, IL’s leader also emphasized the urgent need to “substantially revise the IRS to put more money in people’s pockets,” noting that individuals “cannot continue to be burdened by an excessive tax load.”
Leitão also called for a “reduction in public expenditure.”
“We still do not know the data regarding public employees. However, the Minister of State Reform claims that dismissals are out of the question. So, the question arises: if they do not know how many people work, doing what, and at what salaries, how can they make such claims?” she questioned.
The liberal leader then advocated for “a serious, effective, and cross-cutting assessment of public administration to implement a State reform that has an impact, values public administration workers who genuinely perform well, show merit, and deserve recognition.”
When asked about IL’s role in the approval of the State Budget, Leitão stated that “mathematically, the situation is clear,” but highlighted the quality of the party’s proposals.
She also indicated that there is “willingness to engage in dialogue.”
In her statement, Leitão also commented on Chega’s leader’s presence at an immigrant protest in front of the parliament, accusing André Ventura of “exploiting the situation without offering any solution that considers the country’s sustainability and needs.”
The IL leader argued that there is “absolute chaos” in immigration, blaming it “solely and exclusively on the PS, which allowed complete and utter chaos in the entry of people” into the country for years.
She advocated for an immigration policy that aligns with the “country’s needs, conducted in a regulated manner, with inspection mechanisms in place.”
The leader of Chega, André Ventura, left the plenary this afternoon with several members of his party and approached the front of the Assembly of the Republic, where hundreds of immigrants were staging a peaceful demonstration.
The protest ended with considerable tension after Chega’s entourage approached the site. At that moment, people at the demonstration addressed André Ventura with shouts like “fascist,” “racist,” and “Portugal belongs to those who work.”
