During the parliamentary debate on the State Budget for 2026, PSD deputy Alexandre Poço asserted that PS secretary-general José Luís Carneiro “learned from Pedro Nuno Santos,” his predecessor in the socialist leadership, but “only half the lesson.”
“He learned that the Portuguese have no patience for budget dramas,” Poço said, commending the PS’s “responsible gesture” of quickly deciding to abstain.
However, Carneiro “stumbles on the same mistake” of Pedro Nuno Santos by, he accused, trying to decide government matters from parliament, in a critique of the socialist proposal for a permanent increase in the lowest pensions.
“José Luís Carneiro, there is still time not to repeat the mistake of your party’s previous leadership. The Portuguese know how to distinguish between builders and destroyers,” he challenged, advocating for “a time of responsibility, not a time for adventures” with a “calm, firm, and hopeful budget.”
The PSD deputy also criticized Chega, arguing that this party makes the ISP [Tax on Petroleum Products and Energetic Products] the “alpha and omega” of the discussion, due to a lack of arguments to criticize what he claims is a “good budget.”
For IL, the deputy and former leader Rui Rocha criticized the “government’s artifice” of “comparing itself to the PS,” and claimed it does not fulfill election promises.
“In everything that involves promises, it doesn’t deliver. It’s a reverse Midas touch, it’s a Montenegro touch,” he criticized.
As examples, the liberal pointed to “galloping” expenditure, the lack of commitment to state reform, or the healthcare situation, ironically referring to the problems in obstetric emergencies where it’s no longer asked how many months the baby was born, “but at what kilometer” it was born.
“With this touch of Montenegro, I will suggest promising less,” he appealed.
Before closing, parties were using up their available minutes, with PS’s António Mendonça Mendes accusing the prime minister of making a false statement the previous day when he said that “the tax burden on fuels was lower than the EU average.”
The finance minister requested to distribute documents to the PS and Chega parliamentary groups showing that “in March 2022, the tax burden on fuels was 52.6% compared to 50.5% in the Eurozone,” while currently it is 56% in Portugal and 58% in the Eurozone, which prompted protests from the socialist bench as it was a speech and not just an announcement of document distribution.
Mendonça Mendes also requested to distribute a news article, a fact-checking report by the online newspaper Eco, which stated that Montenegro’s claim about the tax burden was incorrect.
The leader of Chega’s parliamentary group seized this moment to challenge the PS to vote against the OE2026, considering the document to be so poor.
“The budget is a serious matter, and for serious matters, the PS is here to solve,” promptly replied the socialist deputy.
[Updated at 17:12]
