On the S&P website, there is only an indication that the assessment took place and that there was no change. In March, S&P raised Portugal's rating from 'BBB+' to 'A-', with a positive outlook. Thirteen years later, Portuguese debt returned to the A level of all the main agencies.

At the time, with Fernando Medina still in the Ministry of Finance and a week before the early elections, the agency highlighted the “rapid” reduction in the public debt ratio and the “strong budgetary performance” of the national economy. “We expect this trend to continue, albeit at a slower pace,” S&P anticipated, confident that the next government would maintain the path of “financial discipline” and focus “on the implementation of funds” from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

The last agency to decide on Portugal’s rating was the Canadian DBRS, in July, when it maintained the A rating but improved the outlook to “positive”. In September, it was Fitch’s turn to assess the rating of Portuguese debt, followed by Moody’s on 15 November.