Portugal to approve first surplus budget since return to democracy

Authored by euractiv.com and submitted by Smooth_Listen

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LISBON. For the first time since the country’s return to democracy in 1974, the Portuguese parliament will have the chance to approve a state budget with a surplus today (10 January).

Although it has only 108 MPs in the 230-seat parliament, the socialist government is counting on the announced abstentions of other left-wing parties and the People-Animals-Nature Party (PAN) to push through the budget proposal in the first of three votes.

After four years of governing with the left – the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), the Left Bloc (BE) and the Ecologist Party The Greens (ENP) – the government headed by Prime Minister António Costa was forced to negotiate with former parliamentary partners to ensure the viability of the budget proposal.

For now, although very critical of the government’s proposal and particularly its planned 0.2% budget surplus, the left, Greens and PAN say they will abstain in today’s vote, calling on the socialists to step up their game during the discussion phase of the budget. Meanwhile, Portugal’s conservative and far-right parties (PSD (centre-right), the CDS, the Liberal Initiative (right) and Chega (extreme-right)) criticised the budget proposal, saying it would increase the tax burden.

Read the full article of José Pedro Santos from Lusa.pt (in English and Portuguese)

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Seventh_Planet on January 10th, 2020 at 11:12 UTC »

Are they actively trying to cut public spending in order to achieve this, or is it a result of a good economy?

Meanwhile, Portugal’s conservative and far-right parties (PSD (centre-right), the CDS, the Liberal Initiative (right) and Chega (extreme-right)) criticised the budget proposal, saying it would increase the tax burden.

wtf? in most other countries, the conservative parties argue for even more surplus (Germany's Schwarze Null), because it leads to lower taxes. Do they get it right in Portugal?

pimpolho_saltitao on January 10th, 2020 at 10:24 UTC »

the people complaining here that the surplus wasn't necessary and they want more public investment are the same that complain that we should lower our public debt.

Shadares on January 10th, 2020 at 09:30 UTC »

I know absolutely nothing about the politics there but man, that party logo looks angry as hell.