Approving the Budget "offers the country hope"

The State Budget for 2025, approved in the final voting, is at the same time from the coalition that backs the Government and the two main opposition parties that included in it important proposals, said Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in a statement following the voting in Parliament.

The draft State Budget for 2025 was approved with votes in favour from both parties that back the Government, PSD and CDS-PP, with the Socialist Party abstaining and Chega, IL, BE, PCP, Livre, and PAN voting against it.

"This is a Budget of the Government, of the two parties that back it in Parliament, yeti t is also a budget with joint accountability of the Socialist Party and Chega – the largest and the second largest opposition parties, because several of the decisions made were with the support of these parties, even those taken against the Government’s will", he claimed.

"This step has been overcome, I believe that the conditions are in place to use the State Budget as it is meant to be used, as an instrument at the service of public policy, at the service of citizens, companies, social justice, and the economy’s growth", he stated.

Luís Montenegro stressed the "strong commitment by the main parliamentary political forces to the State Budget", as it "contemplates the abolition of some tolls, the enlargement of lower VAT rates in electricity, lowering income tax, not in accordance with the Government’s vision for this, rather the vision of the two main opposition parties", it "contemplates a permanent additional boost in pensions" he said, noting the proposals approved by the opposition that amended the Government’s proposals.

The approved Budget "offers the country hope because it contemplates the essential component of the Government’s proposal, the Government’s programme, yet also many of the ore important proposals put forward by the opposition parties".

During the discussion and voting period in the specialty, which began on 22 November 243 amendments were approved. The discussion was closed by the government by the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Miguel Pinto Luz.