The PSD wants to call the former Finance Minister, Fernando Medina, to Parliament "urgently" so that he can justify what the PSD says was "irresponsible and negligent" spending, recorded after the legislative elections. "I hope he accepts", said Hugo Soares.

This decision comes after the current Finance Minister, Miranda Sarmento, estimated the deficit recorded until the end of the first quarter of this year at around 600 million euros and accused the previous Government of having increased spending after the last legislative elections.

“The Government that, after the elections, authorizes expenses in the region of a billion euros, many of them without being budgeted, can only be described as an irresponsible and negligent government that wants to mortgage the future of those who should then govern the destinies of Portugal", said Hugo Soares.

The president of the PSD Parliamentary Group considered that the situation becomes even more "serious when we see the PS presenting bills that entail even more spending for the State Budget", as is the case with the proposal to eliminate tolls on former SCUTs.

In this vein, the social democrat questioned why the Socialist Party had been in power for the last eight years and had not gone ahead with the measure. He went even further and recalled that "the current PS secretary general was the minister responsible for this area". Pedro Nuno Santos “had the role and the pen in his hand” and did not abolish tolls, he accused.

“This is not only a sign of immaturity and irresponsibility, it is a sign of total lack of control by the PS that I did not want to fail to denounce”, he continued, considering that this situation deserves "deep reflection" and "vehement condemnation".

As for the measure itself, Hugo Soares argued that the country "is not in a position to abolish tolls" and recalled that the EU has a "user-pays principle" and that it is through this that roads are maintained. For this reason, he made it clear that the PSD will vote against the PS bill.

The end of tolls on former SCUT motorways will be debated in parliament today at the initiative of the PS, with the proposals having an uncertain outcome since the parties have not "opened their game" in relation to the voting intentions.

In addition to the PS bill - which had been announced by the leader, Pedro Nuno Santos, during the debate on Luís Montenegro's Government Programme at the beginning of April - there are also bills from the BE and PCP and also draft resolutions (without the force of law) from the IL, PSD/CDS-PP, PAN and Chega.

[News updated at 2:12 pm]