BE will vote against the draft state budget for 2025 and accuses PS of contradiction

BE coordinator Mariana Mortágua announced on Tuesday that her party would vote against the 2025 state budget proposal and accused the PS of contradiction if it approved the PSD/CDS-PP government document.

“This is a budget that turns the country upside down. This is a budget of inequality. This is a budget that takes resources from below and delivers them to the top without solving any of the country’s problems. And that is why the Left Bloc will vote against this budget,” Mariana Mortágua said at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Lisbon.

Asked whether this PS position could jeopardize a possible alliance of the left in the Lisbon City Council (CML) against the social democrat Carlos Moedas, Mariana Mortágua separated the two plans, but recalled that the government of the Republic is led by a right-wing party, as is the capital’s municipality.

“This is an essential issue in the agreement for local authorities and in particular in the agreement for the city of Lisbon: defeating the right and solving the problems of the city of Lisbon. If you ask me if I think it is understandable, P.S., understanding that it has to be done in Lisbon (…), if it makes sense to approve the right-wing budget of Luis Montenegro, no, I don’t think it makes any sense.”

“But this is a contradiction of PS, not BE,” added Mariana Mortagua.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro will receive on Friday from all parties with seats in parliament “the state budget for 2025”.

Asked what she would say at the meeting, since she had already announced her vote against it, Mariana Mortagua said she would express her opposition to the policies adopted by the minority leader, whether on health care, housing or immigration, “with complete frankness.”