"I will have a bilateral meeting with a new minister today and we will discuss the new government's priorities and the budget situation, the state of play of the implementation of Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan, but it is worth highlighting the fact that last year there was a budget surplus of 1.2% of GDP and a surplus is also expected this year, so it will be interesting to clarify the minister's exact plans", said the official, speaking on arrival at the meeting of the eurozone finance ministers in Brussels.

Regarding the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the European Commission's Executive Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People stressed to journalists that "the country is generally on the right track, but there was also a recommendation for Portugal to speed up some aspects of the implementation".

"I look forward to a meeting with the new minister and only then will I make some more specific comments", he added, when asked about recent statements by Joaquim Miranda Sarmento regarding the deficit and debt left by the previous socialist government.

The Minister of Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, makes his debut in Brussels today for a meeting of the Eurogroup, at which he will present the "economic and financial policy priorities of the new government" to his eurozone counterparts.

At what is the first Eurogroup meeting he has attended since taking office in early April, the Portuguese minister will "present the economic and financial policy priorities of the new government of Portugal", according to the meeting agenda.

No statements are expected from the Minister of Finance to Portuguese journalists in Brussels. However, a source from the Ministry of Finance stressed that the minister will present to his eurozone counterparts the "ambitious programme of structural reform of the Portuguese economy" and the "commitment to maintaining balanced accounts and reducing public debt".

In early May, in a summary of budget execution in the first three months of the year, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento revealed that the deficit and debt unpaid by the previous socialist government reached 600 million euros in March.

"In January there was a 'surplus', a surplus of almost 1.2 billion euros. This surplus fell to around 800 million in February, and in March it reached a deficit of almost 300 million", said the minister.

According to Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, budget execution reached a deficit of 259 million euros in March, with debts to suppliers increasing by around 300 million euros.

However, the statements were denied by his predecessor, the socialist Fernando Medina.

This Eurogroup meeting takes place two days before the European Commission releases its spring macroeconomic forecasts for the eurozone and the European Union.

Read Also: Eurogroup highlights Portugal's "stable" finances on minister's debut (Portuguese version)