“We are certain to be within the degree of compliance regarding the objectives we had set, very probably slightly under 0.7%,” Mário Centeno said.

The finance minister preferred, however, not to give any estimates for the 2018 deficit.

INE figures show a budgetary balance of €1.11 billion over the first three quarters of the year, which represents a GDP surplus of 0.7%, compared to a 3.2% deficit last year.