Bloco de Esquerda accuses Portuguese government of favoring capital

José Manuel Pureza, coordinator of the Bloco de Esquerda (BE), has accused the Portuguese government of favoring large capital over the needs of citizens. Speaking in Amarante, Pureza criticized the Montenegro administration, as well as the positions of the Chega and PS parties, regarding the rising cost of living.

Pureza argued that the government is failing to implement decisive measures to assist low-income individuals struggling with the rising costs of housing, groceries, and fuel. He proposed several interventions used in other regions, including the Azores and Madeira, such as fuel price controls and rent caps based on location and property type.

Additionally, the BE leader called for the state-owned bank, Caixa Geral de Depósitos, to limit its profit margins to mitigate the negative impact of interest rate hikes by the European Central Bank. He also advocated for reducing VAT on essential goods to provide relief to consumers.