The Portuguese parliament approved the 2025 state budget, with only the PSD and CDS voting in favor. The Socialist Party (PS) abstained, while all other opposition parties, including Chega, Iniciativa Liberal, and Bloco de Esquerda, voted against.
Opposition parties had previously managed to secure amendments to the budget before its final approval. Chega protested during the session, displaying placards that read, “This Parliament has no shame.” Meanwhile, PSD and CDS lawmakers applauded the budget’s passage.
Protests and Political Tensions
Before the vote, Chega displayed banners accusing politicians of salary increases. The banners featured images of key political figures, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, with money obscuring their faces. Assembly President José Pedro Aguiar-Branco condemned the act as “political vandalism” and disrespectful to parliament.
Differing Perspectives on Responsibility
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro described the budget’s approval as a major achievement, citing cooperation from PS and Chega in shaping its content. He noted that both parties influenced key decisions, some of which the government initially opposed.
However, PS Secretary General Pedro Nuno Santos rejected claims of collaboration with the government. “This is the government’s budget,” he stated, emphasizing PS abstained solely to ensure state functionality, not to support the administration. He highlighted significant government setbacks in two critical areas as reasons for PS’s decision.