Speaking while on a tour of industrial facilities in Portugal’s northern province of Viseu, the main opinion polls are saying will be the country’s next prime minister said the policies “did not produce the desired results and on the contrary demonstrate that day after day they further weaken our economy. This weakening of the economy also worsens our own financial conditions.”
“As I have stressed, we have to focus on what is essential, which is production, generating wealth, dynamising companies and getting people behind this effort of production and growth. Without that, we shall only be getting further bad news about the trend in our financial position,” the opposition leader added.
Costa also drew upon Bank of Portugal figures that stated that according to the Maastricht criteria, Portugal’s debt closed 2014 at 128.7 percent of GDP, being both above that registered in 2013 and the government’s own target.
“When we hear the kind of news that the Bank of Portugal has to give us, we always conclude the same: this policy has failed and, should we really want to have less debt and more economic growth, we have to change policy,” said the opposition leader and President of Lisbon Municipal Council.
Costa then concluded that only by “improving the expectations” of the private sector would Portugal be able “to return to the trajectory of convergence and cohesion with the European Union.”