Arrives available to make the Government's Budget viable without zigzags

The government has begun meeting with political parties to discuss the proposed 2026 State Budget (OE2026). The first meeting, which served to present the government's main budget options and address other issues, was with Chega, which voted against the state budget proposal last year and is now claiming its status as the second-largest opposition party to claim the position of preferred partner in negotiations with the government. The Socialist Party, for its part, warns of incompatibilities if the government gets too close to Ventura's party. Even with a slim margin, Montenegro doesn't expect a budgetary crisis and has already issued warnings to the opposition.

"We are attentive and want to collaborate. Let's hope the government realizes, unlike last year, that there is a preferred partner. This preferred partner was decided by the Portuguese people on May 18th," emphasized the vice-president of the Chega party after the meeting with the government to discuss the 2026 State Budget, the conflict in the Middle East, the nationality and foreigners' law, and the creation of new parishes. Rita Matias confirms that there are "favorable conditions" for approving the budget, as Ventura had already indicated, but wants to be the government's "preferred partner."

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs responded: the government will "negotiate with all parliamentary groups," without any "logic of preference" or "preferred partners" in the State Budget negotiations. Regarding the greater ease of negotiations this year, given a parliament with a right-wing majority, Carlos Abreu Amorim stated that "there is neither greater ease nor greater difficulty," admitting only that certain matters may need to be negotiated, citing the specific example of the law on foreigners.

In the meetings that will take place just over a month before the deadline for submitting the document, several ministers will be present at the hearings, which the Government has already made a point of saying are not yet negotiations with the parliamentary groups, but rather an opportunity to present the Executive's main options for the budget.

Before the start of discussions for the State Budget, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said he hoped the State Budget negotiations would be easier than last year's, with the Prime Minister subsequently warning the parties that he refuses to negotiate the 2026 State Budget with "ultimatums or red lines" (see text alongside). Chega's president, André Ventura, also spoke out, signaling that this year there are "more favorable conditions" for reaching consensus on the State Budget. But he warned: it will depend on the government's stance.

After the first meeting with the Executive, Rita Matias emphasized that the party guarantees "open doors for dialogue" with the Government, but wants the Montenegro Executive "not to zigzag," demanding a reduction in the tax burden and a permanent increase in pensions, two of the five conditions set for the Government to agree to discuss the 2026 State Budget (see text alongside). She also demands public meetings, alluding to the negotiations for the 2025 State Budget with then-PS leader Pedro Nuno Santos, with the Chega vice-president asking that "closed-door negotiations, nor conversations that are later publicly denied, be avoided."

Government concerned about PRR, but rules out deficit

According to Rita Matias, at the meeting, the "Government signaled some concern, particularly regarding the implementation of the RRP, as it depends on transfers and loans from the State itself, at the level of 1% of GDP", also stating that it expects to end this year with a surplus. Regarding economic growth, the rate should be around 2%, according to Livre, a slight downward revision compared to the 2.4% for this year and 2.6% next year predicted by AD in the electoral program.

The figures were released by the party's spokesperson, Rui Tavares, after the meeting with the Government, confirming Chega's information that the Finance Ministry continues to forecast a slight budget surplus of 0.1%.

"This was a government that said it was easy to grow above 3%, apparently it is not easy to grow above 3%," he criticized, also stating that the government also foresees a budget surplus that he considered meager and classified as "a zero balance."

According to Rui Tavares, the “inflation rate will be just above 2% with housing and 1.9% without housing, at 1.9%.” Livre also reports that the Government expects public debt to fall below 90% of GDP next year and challenged the government to discuss the budget instead of maintaining a "preferential courtship" with Chega.

IL dissatisfied and Livre regrets “dating” Chega When asked about the State Budget, Mariana Leitão stated that the State Budget, "from the government's perspective, will follow the same line as last year" and that, regarding its partners, the party's "primary interest" "is always the country, the country's well-being," emphasizing that the Liberals will not abandon their proposals. "We will submit them," she said in the first round of meetings with the Executive, which will last until September 10th, when PCP representatives will be heard. This Friday, September 5th, it will be the PS's turn.

Leaving the meeting, Rui Tavares criticized the lack of dialogue on strategic options for the country and lamented Montenegro's partnership with André Ventura: "This preferential courtship is not good for the country. We believe the country needs to have true plurality in Parliament."