“I am willing to take risks, to withstand the impact of the transition period and believe that this path will produce results, because from the moment there is a greater supply in the housing market, whether for rent or purchase, it seems to me that price moderation will be inevitable,” stated the head of government during the bi-weekly debate in the Assembly of the Republic.

Montenegro was thus responding to the deputy from the Bloco de Esquerda, Fabian Figueiredo, who denounced “the biggest housing crisis in the history” of the country.

In an intervention using football jargon, the Bloco de Esquerda member called the government-announced sector program “a resounding own goal.”

“The Prime Minister now wants to lower taxes on real estate funds and construction companies because he thinks a miracle will solve the housing crisis. He created a curious concept of moderate rent that can go up to €2,300 (...), which in the concrete lives of the Portuguese is eviction,” criticised Figueiredo.

The Bloco de Esquerda member questioned the Prime Minister whether he is “finally willing to listen to the recommendations of the European Commission, which has already shown him the yellow card and calls for regulation of excessive tourism in local accommodation, and the OECD, which calls for a tax system that ends the problem of empty houses, or will he continue with policies that leave the door open for real estate speculation?”

Montenegro stated that the Government’s measures for the sector “are risky” and “involve a transition period, which does not imply immediate results.”

Following the Prime Minister’s Christmas declaration, in which he asked the Portuguese people for "a Cristiano Ronaldo mentality," the Bloco de Esquerda MP said that what’s needed isn’t "a mental coach in São Bento (the Prime Minister’s official residence), but a leader focused on solving health problems and ensuring that the Portuguese can afford their homes."

"We know the country doesn’t need a mental coach in São Bento, but perhaps he is needed at the Bloco de Esquerda headquarters. But I don’t want to interfere in that," he retorted.

The PAN (People-Animals-Nature) MP, Inês Sousa Real, continued the football allusions, stating that "sooner or later, the Portuguese people will show a red card" to the head of government, questioning the Prime Minister about whether he will "make medical emergencies a priority, improve the public service response with resources and investment, and when there will be effective oversight of animal welfare."

Montenegro stated that the Government is “fulfilling all areas of reform” and analysing proposals presented by the independent technical commission and other agents, including an opposition party, “to integrate into the [executive’s] idea to improve the agility of the system for a greater capacity to respond.”

On the other hand, he stated that “the change in oversight did not imply a decrease in the capacity of the public administration to promote animal welfare policies; on the contrary.”