President Cegi said the party was serious about negotiations on the next state budget and said he had sensed a “positive attitude” from the government on Friday, but warned that “it cannot play on two boards.”
“The government’s attitude seemed to us to be honestly positive, our attitude was positive. If the government has this attitude, I think we have a way to go. If it goes back to the parliamentary attitude that it had, then we have no way to go,” he told journalists André Ventura at the Prime Minister’s official residence in São Bento after a meeting on the state budget with the Ministers of State and Finance Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, President António Leitão Amaro and the Minister of Finance. Parliamentary questions, Pedro Duarte.
On the contrary, he said, “the government cannot want to play on both sides,” referring to a possible rapprochement with the PS.
“If the budget is to follow the same lines that the PS has followed in recent years and that Pedro Nuno Santos wants to follow, then it is better to tell us now and there is nothing more to say. We demand equal loyalty and responsibility from the government,” he said.
The first meeting – a new round will take place in September – served, according to André Ventura, mainly to allow the party to present its priorities, highlighting four fundamental areas: an increase in the budget for the fight against corruption and for internal governance, a series of tax measures (such as support for small business owners and increased contributions to health, housing and education) and increased support for young people, which included a complete exemption from the BMI for the purchase of a first home, regardless of age.
At the meeting, he said, Chega said that “either there is a budget for a serious fight against corruption, or Chega will not be on the side of the budget,” pointing to strengthening internal governance funds as the second fundamental direction.
In the area of taxation, the party proposed increasing tax breaks for health care, housing and education expenses, as well as supporting small business owners in terms of rent, social security and autonomous taxation.
Finally, Chega welcomed some of the government’s “concrete measures” regarding IRS for young people, but called on the executive to remove the age limit for IMT exemption on first home purchases up to €316,000.
“We are not engaged in negotiating tricks, we demand that the government take this discussion seriously and not want to create a political crisis,” he said.
Andre Ventura cited international uncertainty, the need to implement the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) and increased investment in defence as reasons why the government is trying to reach an understanding.
“And not to plunge the country into a political crisis at the end of the year, which is undesirable for most Portuguese people,” he said.
This Friday, the government will meet with parties holding seats in parliament to discuss the 2025 state budget.
The prime minister was originally scheduled to attend these meetings. However, due to health reasons, Luis Montenegro cancelled his attendance at all political events until Sunday.