The government anticipates public debt below 90% of GDP next year and foresees the economy growing at a rate “slightly above 2%, or around 2%” by the end of this year. Additionally, a budget surplus of 0.1% is expected.
These details were shared by the Livre party after a meeting with the government held at the Assembly of the Republic.
Speaking to journalists, Livre spokesman Rui Tavares stated that the PSD/CDS-PP government forecasts economic growth “slightly above 2%, or around 2%” for the current year.
“This was a government that claimed it was easy to grow above 3%, but apparently, it isn’t easy to surpass 3%,” he criticized.
The Livre deputy also mentioned that the government foresees a budget surplus of 0.1%, which he deemed insufficient and referred to as “a null balance.”
The government commenced a series of meetings at the Assembly of the Republic with political parties to discuss, among other issues, the 2026 State Budget, as announced by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
At a press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting, Carlos Abreu Amorim noted that these meetings aim for the finance minister to “disclose the main budgetary options.”
The discussions began today and will continue in the coming days.
Abreu Amorim clarified that these are not negotiations but the start of a “tour with parliamentary groups and single deputies on various issues,” including next year’s budget, with the participation of other ministers as well.
The schedule for the coming days
On Thursday, the government will meet with the PS at 17:00, and on the 10th, with the PCP at 16:30.
In addition to the finance minister, the meetings will include the ministers of the Presidency, Economy and Territorial Cohesion, and Parliamentary Affairs.
The note also states that besides the main budgetary options, other central topics will be the immigration law, the nationality law, the government’s position on the Middle East conflict, and the creation of new parishes.
Asked about the expectations for the negotiations, Abreu Amorim expressed hope that they would be easier than last year’s, emphasizing that such an outcome “would bring tranquility to Portuguese society” and be important in the “logic of calming” deemed necessary in the country’s politics.
“That would be great, but these are forecasts, and as someone once said, predictions are sometimes best made a bit later, particularly after the game, and I wouldn’t want to make them now, but I hope so, that’s my hope for easier negotiations,” he stated.
PS leader José Luís Carneiro addressed these invitations, following reports by the newspaper Público, highlighting that the Socialist parliamentary leader is following the matter and found it “very good that these meetings can occur and be constructive.”
