At the conclusion of the debate on the specifics of the State Budget for 2026, Inês de Sousa Real, who abstained in the general voting, emphasized several amendments proposed by PAN that were approved, such as the VAT exemption on feed purchased by animal welfare associations and the extension of Porta 65+ to victims of domestic violence. However, she noted that “a budget is measured not only by what it adds but also by what it fails and destroys.”
According to PAN, the document set to be voted on today contains a “set of profound setbacks that were not reversed in the specifics,” such as the “Government’s concession to the hunting lobby,” with the reduction of VAT on game meat, and the maintenance of the maximum VAT rate on veterinary medical care.
Sousa Real condemned the lack of investment in wildlife recovery centers, “denying what should be a central role in animal welfare policies.”
The deputy also lamented the “even worse scenario” in environmental matters, criticizing the provision of “subsidies to major polluters” and “absolutely incomprehensible” cuts to the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
Inês de Sousa Real also criticized the Socialist Party (PS) for an “incomprehensible abstention” that prevented the approval of a proposal to “ensure that victims of domestic violence can keep their animals in shelters.” She further pointed out the “10% cut in health” and an IRS bracket update lower than wage increases as additional reasons for opposing this budget.
On October 28, the Government’s State Budget proposal for 2026 was approved in general terms in the Assembly of the Republic, with votes in favor from PSD and CDS-PP and abstentions from PS, PAN, and JPP.
[News updated at 12:33 PM]
