European funds are "a minority" of what the State invests

A former Minister of Finance argues that European funds represent only a small part of the investments made by the Portuguese State, describing them as "a minority" of the total. The official nevertheless acknowledges the importance of these funds for European cohesion. The former Minister considers it necessary to "demystify" the role of European funds in the Portuguese economy. In his view, European funds "are not, as I have heard some say, the bane of the country," denying criticisms that have been made of these financial instruments.