“If all goes well”, Marcelo adopts the state budget this Thursday.

President of the Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said today that he has already received the state budget for next year and added that he will make it public on Thursday before leaving for Brazil.

“Tomorrow, after listening to other economic and social partners, if everything goes well, I will publish the budget even before leaving for Brazil,” he said.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke to reporters during the Refood Christmas dinner in Lisbon.

As for the diploma, the President of the Republic considered that “the State budget is flexible and largely depends on international events”, and the proposal of the government for the next year, approved by the Assembly of the Republic, “is the most flexible”. within certain limits.”

“If the picture does not change much, that is, if there is no aggravation of the war, if there is no worsening of inflation, if there is tourism, like this year, if there is foreign investment, like this year, if European economies start to grow a little […]“If this is the case, then the budget has flexibility,” he said.

And he emphasized that “that’s why the first quarter is so important,” because “there you can immediately see whether you start better or worse than expected.”

“Everyone told me what the Confederation of Tourism told me, the UGT told me that tomorrow I will see what others have to say,” he pointed out, referring to the audiences that took place today at Belen Palace and will continue on Thursday. , with CGTP, Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal and CIP.

When asked about the conditions of the Minister of Finance for the execution of the state budget for 2023, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza believes that this year “was a very important test” for Fernando Medina “because he had to draw up two budgets and he had to open one wallet pulls a little.”

“In that sense, based on my experience of the three finance ministers I met, he was the one, either because he had more conditions or because of the choice, he was perhaps the most extensive within the limits,” compared to Mario Centeno. and Joao Leao.

The Assembly of the Republic approved on November 25 the government bill on the state budget for 2023, with the PS voting in favor and the only deputies Livre and PAN abstaining.

The document was approved in a final global vote with an absolute majority of Socialist MPs abstaining from Livre and PAN and votes against the SDP, Chega, the Liberal Initiative, the PKP and the VE.