Portugal’s governing Social Democratic Party (PSD) and its coalition partner, the CDS-PP, have welcomed Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s Christmas message as optimistic and forward-looking. Opposition parties, however, accused him of presenting an unrealistic picture of the country.
Speaking at the PSD’s national headquarters in Lisbon, party vice-leader Carlos Coelho described the address as a “good Christmas message”, highlighting its social sensitivity and confidence in the future.
He praised the prime minister for acknowledging vulnerable groups, including older people, those living in poverty, people with health problems and victims of domestic violence. “These are real problems in Portugal,” he said.
Carlos Coelho argued that the message conveyed confidence grounded in economic data for 2025. He pointed to Portugal being named Economy of the Year by The Economist as evidence that the country is “on the right path”.
“What matters now is ensuring stability and growth,” he said, adding that the government remains committed to boosting incomes while keeping its promise to cut taxes.
The CDS-PP echoed that view. Speaking at the party’s headquarters in Vila Nova de Gaia, vice-leader Catarina Araújo described the message as one of “hope, confidence and determination”.
“It reflects a government that wants to continue working to transform the country and improve people’s lives in concrete ways,” she said.
Criticism came swiftly from opposition parties. In a statement, the far-right Chega party said it was “unbelievable” that the prime minister did not begin his Christmas address by apologising for what it described as “major failures” in the National Health Service (SNS).
Chega accused the government, after almost two years in office, of failing to create confidence among businesses, workers and families, comparing its performance to that of previous Socialist governments.
The party said Portugal lacks a “Cristiano Ronaldo mentality” of ambition and effort, accusing both Montenegro and former prime minister António Costa of relying on wealth redistribution to sustain political structures rather than productive sectors.
For Chega, Portugal needs deep structural reform, which it said was absent even from the prime minister’s Christmas message.
The Liberal Initiative (IL) also rejected Montenegro’s message. Party leader Mariana Leitão accused him of portraying a “wonderful country” that does not reflect everyday reality.
“If we speak to people and genuinely care about how they live, we see that reality does not match the prime minister’s words,” she said in a video statement.
She cited teacher shortages in schools and uncertainty over the operation of hospital emergency departments, arguing that these problems affect most of the population, not only vulnerable groups.
Mariana Leitão also criticised the government’s approach to state reform, noting that public spending has risen by €17 billion. She described this as inconsistent and accused the executive of delaying reforms and overseeing weak economic growth.
“What the country needs is much greater ambition,” she said. “This wonderland that Luís Montenegro is trying to sell is far removed from the reality that Portuguese people face day after day.”
In his Christmas message, the prime minister said Portugal stands at a turning point and must move away from a passive “go with the flow” attitude. He pointed to footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as a symbol of resilience and the pursuit of excellence.
Source: Lusa
