PS warns that measures such as the IRC and the fledgling IRS make it “difficult” to make the state budget viable.

The Socialist leader of Parliament warned this Monday that if the negotiating range of the state budget “closes” due to measures such as the IRC or the young IRS, it will become “more difficult” for the PS to make it viable, demanding to have a “significant say” in the document.

In his first statements to journalists at the start of the PS parliamentary days, which will last until Tuesday in Castelo Branco, Alexandru Leitan was asked about the state budget for 2025 (OE2025).

“The government is the one who has to make the budget viable and has to negotiate with the Socialist Party to approve the budget. Naturally, the Socialist Party, as the largest opposition party, will not give in if it wants to make it viable. “having a significant say in the policies enshrined in the budget,” he warned.

The PS parliamentary leader made it clear that “if the negotiating field is closed by measures” such as the reduction of the IRC or the young IRS, which the Socialists do not agree with, “it will become more difficult” to make it viable, waiting to see what the position of the government led by Luis Montenegro will be.

Asked whether these two fiscal measures were a red line for the Socialist Party, Alexandra Leitan declined to use that expression, but suggested that “it’s a bad sign.”

“The fact that the government is unilaterally occupying the part of the field that is available for discussing budget measures is not a sign of negotiations, and this is one of the issues that we do not agree with. It will have to come to parliament, because obviously, because this is not a sign of negotiations, this is the Assembly’s reserve, and in this headquarters we will be able to work on this,” he said of the IRC.

Regarding the fact that she used an expression that makes OE2025 viable, Alexandra Leitão repeated the idea defended by PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos, that the party “is not a factor of instability” and “always recognizes work and negotiations”, waiting to see what happens and refusing to anticipate the timetable of these possible negotiations with the government.

The PS parliament leader also recalled that the PS “was and will be against the reduction of the IRC” because it “does not have a very significant impact on the company’s operations” and “about 1,500 million euros in tax revenues will be lost to some extent.” It does not have such a complete effect.”

“40% of companies do not pay the IRC. Like the young IRS, we have a measure that results in a huge loss of tax revenue, but it does not have a real impact on a large number of companies,” he criticized, reiterating his disagreement with the decision because “In economics, we need to place our chips in the ‘most productive areas.’

Being “announced without any negotiations with the PS”, according to Alexandra Leitan, this “is a good demonstration of the government’s position and does not bode well for the state budget”.

Asked about the interview that the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) Lucilia Gago will give tonight to RTP after she made herself heard in Parliament, but only after the 2023 report of the Ministry of Public Affairs is completed, the leading parliamentarian refused to comment on this option.

“The Socialist Party followed, voted and approved the request to hear the Attorney General of the Republic in the Assembly of the Republic, and we understand that this is the appropriate headquarters, that these clarifications are necessary, clarifications, of course, of a general scope, and not about specific cases. We will be there when the Attorney General is in the Assembly to ask questions and comments that need to be made, because this is the appropriate place for this,” he said simply.