On Wednesday, the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), Pedro Nuno Santos, put forward a proposal for a portion of Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) dividends to be directed towards a state-run current account to fund local authorities in the construction of housing, which he identified as “the main national problem.”
This proposal was advocated during the opening of the housing sector session, which marked the beginning of the process to update the electoral program with the construction of the Legislative Manifesto 2025, for the party’s candidacy in the early elections set for May 18.
“We believe it is a good idea for a portion of Caixa Geral de Depósitos dividends to feed into a state account that enables our municipalities to access funding to progress with housing projects,” he suggested.
As stated by the PS leader, “the State has this capacity, the country has this need,” and there are municipalities in Portugal “with great capacity, dynamism, and initiative” to, with resources, “provide housing for the population with intermediate incomes.”
Following the presentation of the proposal, João Almeida from the CDS-PP reacted on X, expressing that “this is neither socialism nor even populism. This is madness, total and absolute. And desperation. A lot of desperation.”
Isto não é socialismo, nem sequer populismo. Isto é loucura, total e absoluta. E desespero. Muito desespero. pic.twitter.com/uBQui3L1zv
— João Pinho de Almeida (@_jalmeida_) March 26, 2025
The response to the Christian Democrat was swift, delivered via social media by Marina Gonçalves, former Housing Minister under António Costa’s government and an ally of Pedro Nuno Santos. She labeled the proposal as “this crazy and populist suggestion to ensure CGD dividends serve to guarantee a perpetual and stable housing investment policy that meets the needs of families!”
“We already know that for the CDS, housing policy is only for some!” she concluded.
Esta proposta louca e populista de salvaguardar que os dividendos da CGD servem para garantir uma política de investimento habitacional perene e estável que responda às necessidades das famílias!
Já sabemos que para o CDS a política de habitação é só para alguns! pic.twitter.com/8Gzaajb4Zx
— Marina Sola Gonçalve (@Marina__Gnclvs) March 26, 2025
