Portugal parliament passes graduate salary bonus, opposition warns €300 million deficit risk

The Portuguese parliament approved a proposal by the Socialist Party that obliges the state to pay a salary bonus to recent graduates. The measure is estimated to cost about €300 million annually and was passed with the votes of the Socialists and the right‑wing Chega party, while the PSD and other opposition groups voted against it. PSD deputy Hugo Carneiro called the deal “irresponsible budgetary conduct” that could push the country into a deficit, adding that the fiscal year was already strained by storm‑relief aid and the war in Iran.

Separately, the Institute of Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU) rebutted statements by PS secretary‑general José Luis Carneiro, who claimed the government was withholding ready houses for electoral advantage. IHRU clarified that the ten properties in question are emergency shelters funded under the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan, not permanent homes, and that the programme aims to provide temporary accommodation for vulnerable families. The institute emphasized that the shelters await certification and management by qualified social entities before they become operational.