“I would remove the word controversy. For me, it is not controversial. I explained that a consortium has legitimately presented a proposal. The deputy does not want me, without knowing the proposal, with IP [Infraestruturas de Portugal] evaluating it, with the environment [Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente] evaluating it, with Civil Protection evaluating it, to have a discussion with you about what is fair or not, whether we will change or not,” said in response to deputy Angélique da Teresa (IL).
The issue concerns an alternative proposal for the high-speed line station in Gaia, whose concession contract signed with the State defines that it will be in Santo Ovídio, with connections to two metro lines. However, the AVAN Norte consortium (Mota-Engil, Teixeira Duarte, Alves Ribeiro, Casais, Conduril, and Gabriel Couto) wants to build outside the planned location, in Vilar do Paraíso, without guaranteeing the construction of the metro extension.
Miguel Pinto Luz spoke at the joint parliamentary hearing of the Budget, Finance and Public Administration, and Infrastructure, Mobility and Housing committees, as part of the examination, in detail, of the State Budget proposal for 2026 (OE2026), responding to the deputy from IL, who questioned whether, if the process is challenged, the Government has budgetary room to incorporate these costs or if it will charge them to the concessionaire, since when the project was publicly tendered, it had an assumption that is now being altered.
“In politics, everything has its time. And the time to evaluate this proposal will be when IP presents its vision to the Government on a legitimate proposal from a private consortium. In due course, we will assess the impacts, the territorial justices or injustices, the justices or injustices for the other competitors in the tender, the justices or injustices for the PPP [public-private partnership] model itself,” said the minister.
In response to deputy Carlos Barbosa (CH), he stated that within the AVAN Norte consortium’s proposal, it is not about moving away from the 400-meter band allowed for the route but longitudinally changing the station. He indicated that both the previous mayor of Gaia, Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues (PS), and the elected one, Luís Filipe Menezes (PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition), “agree with the change,” ensuring that the Government will do nothing “in disagreement with the municipalities” and intends “a station in the right place for Gaia.”
“But I have not made any decision, neither have I nor the Secretary of State [for Infrastructure, Hugo Espírito Santo], nor the Government,” he assured.
Responding to PSD deputy Francisco Covelinhas Lopes, who questioned if the Government was open to “reassess solutions” regarding the Gaia station, Miguel Pinto Luz assured “close dialogue with parliament, with local authorities, with the consortium.”
“At the end of the day, we must ensure that the State is not economically and financially defrauded, that there are no increased environmental risks, that Civil Protection is comfortable, that local officials are comfortable,” he said, acknowledging the need to “make quick decisions.”
To deputy Frederico Francisco (PS), who asked if “at this moment the Government still has room to decide because the only way to have real freedom of decision” is “if the consortium has developed, in parallel, two projects,” the Secretary of State Hugo Espírito Santo confirmed that “of course, there is room to decide” by the Government, speaking of a “legal, operational, security, and financial analysis.”
The socialist deputy further emphasized that “the high-speed station is, by definition, a national infrastructure, not one that should be decided based on local logics,” warning that if the consortium has only developed one proposal, there is “no way for the Government to make a different decision without it causing a delay of at least several months” or even “a year.”
PCP deputy Paula Santos also accused the Government of “complacency” throughout the process, with the minister reiterating that “nothing has been changed so far,” but there is only “a proposal from the consortium to change,” and PSD deputy Rui Rocha Pereira, still a councilman in Gaia who voted against the route changes, expressed concerns about less tunnel route and its construction at a shallower depth.
