Prime Minister Montenegro Blocks Public Access to Details of His 55 Declared Properties

Montenegro Halts Disclosure of Property Data

In a move that has raised eyebrows, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has opposed the public release of information regarding the 55 properties he declared to the Entidade para a Transparência (EpT), including the matrix numbers of these assets. The EpT, an independent body, accepted this request, as reported by Correio da Manhã. However, the data will still be publicly available in one of the five declarations submitted since April 2024, where no such opposition was made.

Details of the Declarations

Montenegro declared six urban properties—such as a house in Espinho and an apartment in Lisbon—along with 46 rural properties inherited from his family. In four out of five income declarations reviewed, a note appears in the section for registration numbers stating: 'Data unavailable due to opposition request by the holder.'

Reasons and Reactions

When questioned by Correio da Manhã, the Prime Minister's office did not respond, but sources cited privacy and security concerns for his family. At the closing of the PSD's Summer University, Montenegro briefly stated that he 'did not oppose anything' and dismissed the idea of hiding properties as 'nonsense,' adding he has no fear of disclosure.

Role of the EpT

The EpT, established in 2019 but operational only since 2023, oversees income and asset declarations for politicians and high-level public officials. Previously handled by the Constitutional Court, declarations are now submitted digitally to the EpT starting March 2024.

Illustrative image of property documents