Government reiterates commitment to political stability and executing reforms

The Prime Minister Luís Montenegro began his speech at the fortnightly debate in Parliament by stating that the Government, which took office six months ago, "is still fully focused on executing its programme" and is driving by a reformist and transformative spirit. He recalled this programme was voted for in the elections and presented in Parliament and is "focused on solving people’s problems (…) making the economy grow and, through it, crate the conditions to safeguard the Social State".

Negotiations, agreements and measures for the professional categories

The Government has already solved socio-professional issues that had been pending or years through the agreements reached with representatives from the teaching, security forces, prison guards and court clerk sectors. A wage increase agreement was also signed with the nurses’ trade union, "a rise that hadn’t taken place in 15 years", said the Prime Minister. He also mentioned the greatest ever rise in the Portuguese Armed Forces, "dignifying the career and offering more attractive conditions to increase the number of staff".

Housing

Regarding housing, the Prime Minister noted the agreements and statements of responsibility signed with dozens of municipalities to build around 10.1 thousand dwellings under the "Construir Portugal" (Building Portugal) Programme. The Government also speed up the RRF execution "by cutting down red tape and offering local municipalities more engagement". Accordingly, "we went from 26 thousand to 59 thousand new dwellings in the coming years, including affordable housing for the middle classes", he stated.

Social level

On a social level, the Government revised the cooperation agreements with social institutions, which enables the increase in social responses, especially "those aimed at the elderly", the Prime Minister indicated. Still on this level, he recalled the rise in the Social Benefit for the Elderly to 600 euros, the end of resorting to their children’s income and 100% payment of medicines by the State. Luís Montenegro also noted the additional benefit (between 100 and 200 euros) to be received by 2 million four hundred thousand pensioners this month. Lastly, he mentioned the set-up of the Elderly Person status and the revision on the Informal Carer status, as well as the new rules to update pensions.

Education and the economy

Education and the economy are other areas under improvement by this Government, whether through presenting the execution of the + Aulas + Sucesso (+ Classes + Success) plan, or the implementation of the more than 50 measures under the Acelerar a Economia (Accelerate the Economy) plan. The Prime Minister also stressed the launching of the new incentives for a special teaching staff recruitment competition.

Mobility, sustainability, and the energy transition

The measures are not contained in what has been reached only. Luís Montenegro moved forward with one of the measures to be presented this Friday in a Special Council of Ministers – the creation of a rail card that will allow Portuguese people to have access to all the train services, minus the Alfa Pendular, at 20 euros per month only.

Health

Luís Montenegro stressed the execution of the Emergency and Health Transformation Plan. Of the 54 measures, 15 have already been completed, 32 are underway and the remaining 7 shall begin in March 2025, as the Prime Minister explained. He also highlighted the start of the works on Todos os Santos Hospital, which will begin next Monday.

Fires

The Prime Minister reiterated his condolences for the victims and his "solidarity to all those who lost their homes, their properties, their goods, their animals, and their enterprises". He expressed the Government’s and Portuguese people’s gratitude for "all those who took part in the firefighting operations: firefighters, civil protection officers, security forces, the military, municipalities, and the local population". Faced with this tragedy, the Government took prevention by declaring a state of alert "given the extreme weather conditions forecast" and fought "with the largest ever capabilities in fighting fires". In addition, the Government boosted the national capabilities by activating immediately the European Civil Protection Mechanism, under which there was collaboration from Spain, France, Italy, and Greece, as well as the assistance offered by the Kingdom of Morocco.

Luís Montenegro claimed the Government did what was within its reach, but this does not mean "we are not available to investigate thoroughly what happened during these fires", both what was handled well as what has handled not so well. He also said the country is already recovering thanks to a multidisciplinary team coordinated by the Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and of Territorial Cohesion Manuel Castro Almeida, who travelled to the sites most affected in order to ensure assistance to the population and the most hit municipalities. This recovery will be sped up with the 500-million-euro allocation from European funds to cover the losses resulting from the fires. In addition, the Government has already advanced 100 million euros from the State Budget for the more urgent needs. "We are committed to accelerate and simplify the recovery processes and we are above all focused on getting the support as early as possible to help people’s lives", the Prime Minister said.

State Budget

The Prime Minister referred to the need to ensure the 2025 State Budget’s approval; "the naitoknal interest so demands it. The national context so imposes it. The sense of State so determines it". He said that "each one should rise up to their responsibilities", something clearly shown in the social dialogue agreement, where the UGT claimed the Government is going further in valuing workers, the CAP praised "the proof of maturity contained in the agreement", and the CIP noted the productivity stimulus.

He thereby concluded that "the social partners stand with the country and the Portuguese people are counting on the Government", placing the burden on the political opposition. Luís Montenegro reiterated that "the Government never wanted nor wants early elections" and that if this happens the Portuguese will easily figure out who was responsible for it. He ended his speech saying that "the times we are living in require lucidity, common sense, good faith, and loyalty. Loyalty among the parties, but above all loyalty among politics and people, among politics and the Portuguese people".