Montenegro Urges Opposition Parties to Focus on Portugal's Future and Not Get Distracted

Luís Montenegro, the Prime Minister, emphasized the need for opposition parties to avoid getting sidetracked by trivial details during discussions about the 2025 State Budget. Speaking at the electoral event for the presidency of the PSD in Espinho, where he was the sole candidate, he stated that “the Portuguese do not need tantrums.”

He urged, “Let’s keep our feet on the ground: do we want to work for Portugal or discuss minutiae and provide excuses to distract people?” Montenegro highlighted the importance of communication between the government and political parties, referencing previous meetings at the Prime Minister's official residence and upcoming discussions in Parliament.

Montenegro pointed out, “The Portuguese want political parties to spend less time on what doesn’t matter and focus on solutions that address people’s constraints.” He stressed that Portugal needs a State Budget for 2025 and to fulfill the commitments of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) to avoid losing funding.

He also emphasized the need to revitalize the economy to create more wealth and retain young Portuguese workers, stating, “We need to save essential public services.”

Montenegro reassured that the government is committed to having a serious and loyal dialogue with all political forces and is ready to share information with opposition parties to facilitate their proposals. He noted the importance of upcoming meetings scheduled in the Assembly of the Republic next Tuesday with three government ministers and all party delegations willing to engage.

Montenegro concluded, “We have responded to what has been requested of us,” reinforcing the government’s commitment to transparency and collaboration.