Socialists “aware of risks”, particularly to their own popularity
Expresso reports that PS Socialists are “analysing” how they can change the tax exemptions brought in by social democrats for young people buying their first homes.
At one of the various meetings this week where the party is discussing its programme for the latest snap elections (scheduled for May 18), party leader Pedro Nuno Santos said: “the exemption of stamp duty and IMT (municipal taxes), without a strong response in terms of supply, will always have the consequence, as we warned, of accelerating house prices”.
In Nuno Santos’ mindset, the tax exemption (for properties under €317,000) means that the majority of young people end up even further from being able to afford a home than they were before social democrats voted the measure in. And, to be fair, everything points to this being the case: the price of houses and apartments continues to rise; the dilemma of people unable to afford a rental property continues and knock-on social effects have seen maternity units reportedly ‘keeping babies’ far longer than necessary, as they insist on knowing that mothers have a proper home to return to.
It was in this context that Pedro Nuno Santos suggested a new Socialist government making use of profits from the state bank, Caixa Geral de Depósitos, to help municipalities fund housing schemes.
What was not reported at the time, was the fact that the meeting also discussed forms of how to “regulate the housing market”, including through “limiting purchases by non-resident foreigners”, in the same way that Spain has announced it will be doing.
“Transnational demand has very severe consequences on the price (of housing) and the exclusion of many Portuguese in the access to habitation”, said the PS leader.
The PS meetings to define the party’s electoral programme will continue in to next week. Meantime, the latest opinion poll to be released (by Intercampus, for Correio da Manhã) shows the AD government (which technically cannot use the AD democratic alliance title now that it has shed its coalition with the PPM monarchist party) has nudged ahead, with the PM’s personal ratings improving against Pedro Nuno Santos’ depreciating.
The truth is that ‘these are early days’, a lot could change – and there is scant optimism yet that social democrats could return with the kind of majority their programme would require. ND
Source material: Expresso/ Correio da Manhã
