sergio gonçalves
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal's new center-right minority government faces its first setback in parliament as the far-right Chega party joins forces with the Socialist Party to suspend toll payments on eight highways and impose unwanted increases in public spending. was hit by.
The government fears Thursday's vote could be the beginning of a coalition of opposing political forces to paralyze the movement and force new elections.
In the general election on March 10, a coalition led by the center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD) narrowly defeated the center-left Socialist Party (PS), giving the populist and anti-immigrant Chega a seat in the most divided parliament. Stretched to 4 times. In 50 years of democracy.
Analysts say the administration could be short-lived, with its first major test coming near the end of the year when Congress votes on the 2025 budget.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pedro Duarte said late Thursday that he was “watching with surprise the new parliamentary pattern in which the PS and Chega collude in negative coalitions to undermine government activities.”
He said the approved measure would cost the state 180 million euros ($193 million) next year alone in compensation to concessionaires, and a total of 1.5 billion euros by 2040. It criticized the budget for “gross irresponsibility.”
The bill was introduced by the PS, which has ruled Portugal for the past eight years and has refused to abolish road tolls throughout its tenure.
The ruling PSD voted against it. He has supported gradual reductions in payments for eight highways, rather than abruptly eliminating them.
Socialist Party leader Pedro Nuno Santos said, “It is unacceptable for the government to describe the normal business of parliament as a blockade,'' and Chega leader Andre Ventura said, “The government should have less compunction and more control.'' ” he said.
The government said on Thursday that the public deficit is likely to rise once an assessment of spending approved by the PS government in its final months in power is completed.
(1 dollar = 0.9308 euro)
(Reporting by Sergio Gonçalves; Editing by Andrei Calip and Barbara Ruiz)
