The president of the republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said today that he had already received next year’s state budget and added that he would announce it on Thursday before leaving for Brazil.
“Tomorrow, after listening to the other economic and social partners, if all goes well, I will finalize the budget before I leave for Brazil,” he said.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa addressed journalists during Refood’s Christmas dinner in Lisbon.
Regarding the diploma, the President of the Republic considered that “the state budget is flexible and highly dependent on international developments” and the government proposal for next year, which was approved by the Republic’s Assembly, “is more flexible than is possible within a certain framework”.
“If the picture doesn’t change much, that is, if the war doesn’t get worse, if inflation doesn’t get worse, if there’s tourism like this year, if there’s foreign investment like this year, if European economies start to pick up a bit […]if that’s the case, the budget is flexible,” he insisted.
And he emphasized that “that’s why the first quarter is so important” because “that’s where you can immediately see if you’re doing better or worse than expected.”
“Everyone told me that, the Confederation of Tourism told me, UGT told me, tomorrow I can see what the others will say,” he said, referring to the audiences that took place today at the Belém Palace and will continue on Thursday. with the CGTP, the Confederation of Trade and Services of Portugal and the CIP.
Asked about the conditions of the Finance Minister to implement the 2023 state budget, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa believed that this year was “a very important test” for Fernando Medina, “because he had to make two budgets and he had to make one opening the wallet irons out a bit”.
“In that sense, from my experience with the three finance ministers I met, he was the one, either because he had more conditions or because of choice. He was perhaps the most comprehensive, within the restrictive,” compared to Mario Centeno and Joao Leao.
The Assembly of the Republic approved the government bill for the state budget for 2023 on 25 November, with the PS voting in favor and the only deputies from Livre and PAN abstaining.
The document was approved in a general final vote with the votes of the absolute majority of the Socialist deputies, the abstentions of Livre and PAN and the votes against of PSD, Chega, Liberal Initiative, PCP and BE.
Source: DN
