“With our vote, with our signature, that will surely not happen. On the contrary: not only will we not support it, but we will oppose it and do everything to stop it,” stated Paulo Raimundo to journalists during a campaign action in Monforte, in the district of Portalegre.
The general secretary of the PCP described the discussion around the State Budget for 2026 as “a circus,” questioning whether “anyone doubts that the budget will be approved.”
“We just need to know with whom, and the ‘with whom’ here is not whether it’s PS or Chega. Because one force will assume the role destined for approving the Budget, and for the other, it will involve the approval of all the acts as grave as the Budget. Want an example? The labor package,” he stated.
Confronted with the fact that the PS has already stated it would not facilitate a State Budget that includes the labor changes advocated by the executive, Paulo Raimundo responded: “Exactly.”
“For one, the approval of the budget will remain, and for the other, the approval of other decrees as bad as the Budget, like the labor package,” he said, and when questioned if the budget will not have the PCP’s vote, Paulo Raimundo said that is clear.
“Once, half-jokingly, half-seriously, I was asked if I could announce the PCP’s vote. I said no. The one who announced the PCP’s vote on the State Budget was the prime minister, when he states that the budget to be presented is a tool in favor of the ongoing policy,” he joked.
Paulo Raimundo emphasized that “if the prime minister announces this, it naturally announces that PCP will vote against,” because the party “cannot be co-responsible for the dismantling of the NHS, public services, for this madness of 5% for war” when there are “two million poor people” in Portugal.
“The PCP will not be responsible for this. Whoever wants to, put their signature there, but they must assume the responsibility. It’s not just talking about stability. That is just sweet talk,” he stressed.
The general secretary of the PCP wondered if the stability being spoken of is that of “closed urgencies, the NHS without the required doctors and nurses,” or the “stability of moderate rents at 2,300 euros.”
In his statements to journalists, Paulo Raimundo was also asked about the working group formed between PSD and Chega to reach consensus on changes to the foreigner laws, emphasizing that “they are closing a deal that can only be closed between these forces,” with a “reactionary idea.”
“With us, they wouldn’t close something like that,” he said, refusing to delve further into this topic, considering it an “agenda” being used to influence the local election campaign.
“It’s the last straw, us trailing behind the agenda and the calendar of PSD and Chega’s deals, because tomorrow we will be dependent on the dealings between PSD, PS, and Chega for the budget and we’re stuck in this. People’s lives, that’s not it,” he stated.
Paulo Raimundo expressed his intention to conduct a local campaign “very connected to people’s lives, to solutions” and “program confrontations” between different political forces.
“This is what I expect. I almost bet we’ll have a campaign centered in working groups here, working groups there, solutions for after October 12. But the one I will seek to conduct is centered in the field,” he emphasized.
