Prime Minister Luís Montenegro returned from vacation with a speech praising his Government's successes, complaining about alleged "modern censorship" practiced by journalists. In response, José Luís Carneiro chose the image of "The King is Naked" for the PS comeback, arguing that nothing has been done by the Government to combat the rising cost of living, although the Portuguese economy is growing above the European average.
The author highlights that despite economic growth of 1.9% (against 1.2% in the EU), Europe is going through a period of mediocre growth and Portugal faces serious problems: housing prices have risen by about 17.8%, the essential food basket costs €254.32, energy has increased by 8.7%, and services by 4%. The PS presented proposals to the Government to combat these increases, including zero VAT on the essential food basket, VAT reduction on fuels and energy from 23% to 13%, and support for the agricultural and transport sectors, all rejected.
The PS defined conditions to approve the State Budget for 2027: a Constitutional Review done only with the PS, the untouchability of Social Security, the completion of the PRR, support for Municipalities and the victims of the storms, and above all the relief of the cost of living. The author considers these conditions essential and not radical, criticizing the Government for problems such as lost national exams, the 2025 wildfires, chaos in Health, and a constantly flustered Minister of Internal Administration.
The author concludes that a competent Budget is neither left nor right, but rather one that returns to families part of what the State took from them in excess during inflation, that tackles housing, and that solves the problems of the National Health Service. Political stability, according to the author, is not demanded from the opposition, but rather earned through good governance.
