Portugal's new government vows to keep balanced budgets, privatise TAP

Portugal's new minority centre-right government will maintain balanced budgets, continue to reduce the country's public debt and carry out a long-planned privatisation of flag carrier TAP, it said in its programme on Wednesday. Under the previous Socialist administration, Portugal swung to a stronger-than-expected budget surplus of 1.2% of GDP last year from a deficit of 0.3% in 2022.

Portugal's new minority centre-right government will maintain balanced budgets, continue to reduce the country's public debt and carry out a long-planned privatisation of flag carrier TAP, it said in its programme on Wednesday.

Under the previous Socialist administration, Portugal swung to a stronger-than-expected budget surplus of 1.2% of GDP last year from a deficit of 0.3% in 2022. The Socialists have predicted a surplus of 0.2% this year. The government did not immediately specify whether it was planning to sell the whole of TAP or a stake in the airline.

The previous government approved the sale of at least 51% of TAP in September, but the process was stalled. The privatisation has already attracted interest from Lufthansa , Air France-KLM and British Airways owner IAG. The new prime minister, Luis Montenegro, told Reuters in December during the election campaign it was his intention to fully privatise TAP.

Cabinet Affairs Minister Antonio Leitao Amaro told reporters on Wednesday the government plan includes 60 proposals from other parties' electoral programmes. The programme will be debated in parliament later this week.

"It is a government programme for change but based on dialogue," Leitao Amaro said.