According to the same source, the audiences are to continue on Friday, also from 2pm, with the Left Bloc, Socialist Party and Social Democratic Party, in that order.

Last Friday the president announced that he had called the parties in for talks following the submission to parliament that same day of the minority Socialist government's draft 2017 budget. It will be the third time he has called them in without its being required by the country's constitution since he took office on 9 March.

On Sunday, during a state visit to Switzerland, de Sousa said that during his term as president he intends to call in the parties once a quarter, and that the submission of the budget is a good reason to hold the audiences now.

He reiterated, however, that he will not comment on the budget's contents at present.

"I shall wait to pronounce on the budget [until] after 29 November" when the bill is given its final reading.

The government's draft budget foresees economic growth of 1.5%, a public sector deficit equivalent to 1.6% of gross domestic product, average consumer price inflation of 1.5% and an average jobless rate of 10.3%.

For this year, the government foresees growth of 1.2% and a deficit of 2.4% - both figures representing a worsening of the scenario previously sketched out in official documents.