Nuno Melo says that the “last thing” the Portuguese want is “a political crisis and early elections”
The Minister of National Defense, Nuno Melo, defended, this Friday, that thethere benefits from the approval of the State Budget for 2025 (OE2025), also warning that the Portuguese reject a political crisis that leads to early elections.
“Portugal benefits from the approval of a budgetI really think that the last thing the Portuguese want, so soon after the last elections and a repeated cycle of many elections, is a political crisis and early elections”, he said.
Nuno Melo, who was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to the Portugal Air Summit aeronautical summit, which runs until Saturday at the Ponte de Sor Municipal Aerodrome, in the Portalegre district, hopes that thepolitical leaders are “equal” to the circumstances and understand that the document is fundamental for the country’s development.
“I think political leaders must live up to the times and circumstances and realize that this state budget is an instrument and a fundamental tool for the country’s development, I won’t say more than that,” he said.
Asked by journalists whether the budget is on the “good track” to be approved, Nuno Melo I didn’t want to come up with a “prognosis” in relation to the future.
“I don’t comment, I I focus on what depends on us and from the outset in what depends on me for National Defense, what depends on others I will wait for what has to happenpolitics is very dynamic, but I am an optimist by nature and I want to believe that sense will prevail.”
Also asked about the interview with TVI/CNN by Chega’s president, André Ventura, who said that the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, privately proposed an agreement to him with a view to approving OE2025, which admitted he could join the Government, which was denied by the executive leader, Nuno Melo again did not comment, maintaining that he did not watch the interview.
“I didn’t see it, I was traveling. To be completely honest, I didn’t see it, I’m not lying, I swear,” he said.
The Minister of National Defense also announced in Ponte de Sor that he is studying a hypothesis to present to the Government, in order to acquire ‘kits’ to apply to C-130 aircraft, for use in fighting fires in Portugal.
“It’s an investment that I want to launch because it has a great strategic advantage for Portugal”, he revealed.
According to the official, this equipment, which will be used by the Air Force, will have an investment of around seven million euros per aircraft.
“If we take into account the cost of fighting fires using many other devices, it is actually almost nothing for the return it can give,” he added.
The Government delivered the State Budget proposal for 2025 to parliament on Thursday, which predicts that the economy will grow 1.8% in 2024 and 2.1% in 2025 and a surplus of 0.4% of Domestic Product Gross (GDP) this year and 0.3% next.
The feasibility in general, whose voting will take place on the 31stis not assured. If the proposal is made viable, with the abstention of the PS or, alternatively, the favorable votes of Chega, it will then be assessed in the specialty, between November 22nd and 29th, with the final global vote scheduled for November 29th.
