José Luís Carneiro addressed the opening of the Portuguese Socialist Party’s National Committee meeting today in Penafiel, Porto district. The meeting’s agenda includes the decision on backing António José Seguro in the presidential elections and a review of last week’s municipal election results.
Regarding the State Budget for 2026, for which the PS leader advocated a “demanding abstention” following consultations with party organs, Carneiro deemed it “a truly poor State Budget.”
Carneiro stated that the Government’s proposal “lacks credibility concerning budgetary balance,” considering “revenue and expenditure forecasts and the options regarding this income and spending.”
The PS leader also warned of “income losses for the lowest pensions.”
However, Carneiro reiterated the conditions placed on Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, demanding that labor reform, the Health Basic Law, and Social Security issues remain out of the document.
“The Budget could not serve as a tool for the so-called budget riders allowing intervention in crucial areas of our collective life,” he emphasized.
The PS Secretary-General stated that “the Government met these demands set by the PS.”
“Having met these conditions, I proposed to the Parliamentary Group and the Political Committee to abstain concerning the State Budget. There was unanimous agreement on the abstention,” which was decided for “reasons of political stability,” he explained.
