PS Demands Answers Over "Axe to Modernization" in Portugal's Recovery Plan

PS Secretary-General Demands Government Explanation

PS Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro has demanded explanations from the government regarding changes made to Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), calling the government's justification insufficient.

"Axe to Modernization" of Social State

During the inauguration of the Póvoa de Lanhoso mayor in Braga, Carneiro specifically mentioned funds allocated for health and education, describing the cuts as a "machadada na modernização" (axe to modernization) of the Social State.

Billions in Cuts Across Vital Sectors

Carneiro revealed these changes will cut:

• Over €40 million from health
• €235 million from education
• €250 million from social support for home care, continued care, and palliative care
• Nearly €300 million from transport and mobility

Government Must Answer to Portuguese People

"This is a serious mistake for which the government must, in my view, answer to the Portuguese people. They must explain why, with what justification, they decided to divert these resources," Carneiro demanded.

The PS leader insists the executive must also justify why there was no capacity to execute these funds and what led to the decision to withdraw resources from vital areas.

Final PRR Revision Submitted

On Friday, the Portuguese government submitted the final revision of the PRR to the European Commission. The following day, the Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion explained in a statement that this was a fundamental step to complete the plan within the deadline.

Telejornal, November 1, 2025

Specific Projects Abandoned

The government will abandon €311 million in projects deemed unfeasible by August 2026, including:

• Expansion of Lisbon Metro's red line
• Construction of Lisbon Oriental Hospital

Additional funding reductions affect the National Health Service, Education, and Culture sectors.