Aguiar-Branco says the country is focused on whether the Budget is approved rather than knowing who lies about meetings

The President of the Assembly of the Republic, Aguiar-Branco, considers that the country is more focused on whether the Budget will be approved than on knowing who is lying in relation to what was discussed in private meetings.

“I think the country is focused on the essential issue of knowing whether or not we are going to have a Budget, because the Portuguese people don’t want elections. There needs to be a budget so that all policies can be applied to solve the problems of the Portuguese: they hope that there will be a consensus regarding the feasibility of the Budget”, maintained Aguiar-Branco, in Marinha Grande, where he participated in an event that marked the 7th anniversary of the fires that devastated the Leiria National Forest.

Asked by journalists about who lies or not in relation to the private meetings held between the prime minister and the leader of Chega, to reach an agreement on the 2025 Budget, Aguiar-Branco highlighted that what people want is for “there to be consensus for the Budget”.

“They need to feel that politicians place the national interest above private interests and the national interest demands that there be a Budget even for the application, for example, of PRR funds [Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência]which are fundamental for the country’s economic recovery, to combat the housing drama and to put the country into growth in a sustainable way”, he claimed. In his opinion, this is the essential topic, although the truth is also essential.

“The truth is what distinguishes politicians from politicians and, therefore, it is essential to tell the truth. I want to emphasize that the Portuguese are concerned about the truth, but they are also concerned about wanting a Budget”, he indicated.