During a parliamentary debate ahead of the European Council, the Prime Minister advocated for a common European strategic response to fuel prices and the current challenges facing the European project.
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During a visit to Strasbourg to mark 50 years of Portugal's accession to the Council of Europe, António José Seguro called for a coordinated European response to the fuel crisis and stressed the need for international dialogue, humanism, and peace.
The Left Bloc (BE) announced it will re-table proposals for zero VAT on essential foods, a 13% intermediate VAT rate on road fuels alongside retail price caps modelled on Poland, Madeira and the Azores, and a mechanism via state-owned bank CGD to cap mortgage payment increases. To fund these measures, BE proposes reversing corporate tax cuts for large companies earning over 50 million euros and expanding windfall taxes to banking and major retail, alongside temporary three-month renewable periods for the zero-VAT policy backed by retailer price agreements.
At a summit in Brussels, EU leaders are under pressure to address winter energy prices and seek budget flexibility from the European Commission. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro specifically requested a review of fuel pricing transparency and accounting, acting independently on the matter during discussions.