The Portuguese Socialist Party’s (PS) Secretary-General, broadcasting from Porto studios, and the PAN spokesperson, Inês de Sousa Real, participated in a televised debate on TVI that focused predominantly on fiscal issues. The parties expressed divergent views on matters of corporate tax rates (IRC) and fuel taxation, while also showcasing differences on solutions to the housing crisis.
The debate commenced with a discussion on corporate tax policies. Inês de Sousa Real reiterated her stance from a previous discussion with the BE, urging not to “demonize companies,” and emphasized that since this tax is not progressive, any decrease should be uniform across all businesses.
Addressing the same issue, Pedro Nuno Santos opposed a blanket reduction in corporate taxes, citing the “very high budgetary cost” and stressing that “IRC reductions should be linked to the destination of profits.”
The PAN leader countered by accusing Pedro Nuno Santos of “almost demonizing companies” and aligning more with the extreme left rather than the center-left.
“Suddenly, I felt like I was debating with the Left Bloc and not the Socialist Party,” quipped Sousa Real, further noting that the PS did not support PAN’s proposals to tax excessive profits or eliminate exemptions on petroleum products.
In response, Pedro Nuno highlighted what he perceived as Inês de Sousa Real’s attempt to label the PS’s position on IRC as radical, clarifying that this stance has been consistent for many years, including during António Costa’s leadership, implying “there is no radicalization.”
“In fact, I find it radical to risk losing 1.260 million euros in public funds that could support companies, rather than providing a tax break to businesses that, in reality, do not need them,” he stated.
When queried about whether the PS agrees that now is the time to terminate the discount on the tax for petroleum products (ISP), the socialist leader rejected the idea, arguing that “a large part of the Portuguese population lacks access to public transportation,” suggesting that investments should focus on that sector rather than “burdening families who rely solely on cars for commuting.”
The PAN leader once again disagreed with Pedro Nuno, advocating for the end of ISP and insisting that the nation should not “continue to support major polluters” through “exemptions and tax breaks,” but should instead aid families and, for example, invest in public transportation and fund free travel passes.
Regarding the housing issue, Pedro Nuno Santos noted that the PS was not “a fan of the changes” made to land law. He highlighted that during the detailed discussions of the legislation, the party aimed to “mitigate the negative impacts of the Government’s proposal” and later defended the Socialist proposal to utilize profits from Caixa Geral de Depósitos to finance housing construction.
Referring to this proposal from the PS’s electoral program, the PAN leader argued that “the excessive profits of CGD are derived from exorbitant commissions” and “some worker precarity,” suggesting it would be more beneficial for the public bank to offer “more competitive loans for families compared to other banks and lower commissions.”
“We do not oppose the allocation of these profits for this purpose, but we believe it is not at all the solution,” she added.
