Opposition claims excellent economic growth is 'all down to the last government'

The excellent economic growth figures for the Portuguese economy is all down to the reforms of the previous government, sais the previous government.

The former coalition partnership of the CDS and PSD has welcomed the positive economic data, "We are pleased with the recovery of the Gross Domestic Product this quarter which is due to the reforms made by the previous Government and a more favourable international and EU environment."

Thus spoke Social Democrat MEP Inês Domingos, referring to the latest data from the National Statistics Institute that shows the economy growing by 2.8% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016.

For the Social Democrats, these figures ​​reflect "the efforts of businesses and families that have pushed the economy forward, even though the government is inert and has reversed reforms."

Domingos said that in 2016, growth was lower than in 2015, saying that this "is unacceptable. We expect the economy to continue to grow at more than two percent to try to recover some of what was lost."

Many agree that what is unacceptable is an MP, who produces nothing towards GDP, saying this is unacceptable.

The government and the Bank of Portugal have joined the European Commission in agreeing on an average growth for this year of at least 1.8%.

Portugal’s Foreign Minister, Augusto Santos Silva, regretted that the main opposition party attributed these good figures to the reforms made by the previous government, saying that the PSD is deceiving itself.

"I have no comment to make but to regret their attitude. The country needs active, constructive political parties, and to be forever in a position of blinding ourselves to reality, I do not think it is good for anyone," said Santos Silva.

According to the minister, "what has happened is that the Portuguese economy has entered a cycle of recovery, what has happened is that this recovery has accelerated in recent quarters, what has happened is that this recovery has been felt in the context of combating unemployment, in the context of the creation of employment, in the context of private investment, in the context of the development of foreign trade, in particular exports, and in stimulating domestic demand."

"And what also is true is that all this is compatible with our policy of replacing lost incomes, replacing cut wages, replacing severed pensions and easing the tax burden."

Asked if he was congratulated in Brussels for the growth of the Portuguese economy, Santos Silva said yes he was, after he handed out the data from the National Institute of Statistics but also that he was congratulated on Portugal winning the Eurovision Song Contest.

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