PS says the government is presenting solutions and criticizing the opposition for “creating confusion” on housing issues.

This Thursday, the PS said the government had presented solutions to support families in the face of rising interest rates, and criticized the opposition for being “still very focused on creating more confusion.”

“The government continues to look for solutions: for every problem there is a solution. Unfortunately, the vast majority of opposition parties are still focused on creating more confusion,” said the parliamentary leader of the Social Democratic Party, Eurico Brillante Diaz, speaking to reporters at the Assembly of the Republic.

The MP spoke after the finance minister’s presentation of home lending measures aimed at helping families cushion the impact of rising interest rates, saying the executive had “already introduced support solutions” and was now “reinforcing them”.

“And once again, it is disappointing to note that some opposition parties, instead of highlighting and approving some of these initiatives, not only fail to criticize the European Central Bank (ECB) for its consistent erroneous decisions to raise interest rates, but also attack the government for “that it once again supports the Portuguese,” he criticized.

Asked whether a family’s ability to ask the bank for a fixed installment on a home loan for a period of two years could represent a “pending problem”, Brillante Dias replied that “today we need to support the Portuguese, they will not have a negative impact on Banco de Portugal due to for default.”

“As we know, the largest Portuguese banks are controlled by the ECB. Therefore, the government today supported the belief that our inflation is decreasing, decreasing, today it is much lower than a year ago, and that this trend will continue. will continue and interest rates can be adjusted,” he said.

Brillante Díaz stressed that “the government has also taken support measures to control inflation” and that “within two years” the executive branch “will be here to take any necessary decisions.”

“Families now need support now, given this misguided insistence on further interest rate increases being encouraged by the European right,” he criticized.

Asked whether the measures had come too late, Brillante Diaz said the ECB “last week raised benchmark interest rates again for the tenth time, with great support from the right in the European Parliament, in particular from the European People’s Party, of which he is a member.” . Member of the SDP and SDU.

Regarding a possible new “brake” from the government regarding rent increases, Brillante Diaz said: “What the government will do is, of course, within a very short time, to decide in a balance between what is the right of those who have income from the stability in your life, but also from the owners.”

The Socialist parliamentary leader added that “the government may have to take measures of a different nature and perhaps the budgetary context and budget discussions.” [para 2024] is the most appropriate place to discuss them.”

This Thursday, the Council of Ministers approved housing lending measures to help families mitigate the impact of rising interest rates, including a measure that ensures that the interest rate does not exceed 70% of the index (Euribor) and another that extends interest rate support. subsidies for housing loans from 720 to 800 euros.

The government is also maintaining the suspension of fees for early repayment of housing loans until the end of 2024.