Marcelo: “It is very difficult to deny reality, that the effects [da guerra] in inflation it will exist, we don’t know for how long”

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, defended, this Wednesday, that it is necessary, but normal, to have a constant review of the measures adopted by the Government to face inflation, which he still refused to define as structural. “As one has the notion that war [na Ucrânia] The longer it lasts, the deeper the effects, the more necessary it is to keep reviewing the measures and taking new measures. It has been happening in all the countries of Europe for the last few weeks and it will continue in the coming weeks for as long as the war lasts”, he declared on the sidelines of a conference in Gulbenkian, in Lisbon.

Speaking at the same time as the debate on the state of the nation was taking place, the Head of State commented that António Costa had said that inflation was worsening the living conditions of the Portuguese. “It is very difficult to deny the reality, that these effects on inflation, on people’s living conditions, exist, will exist, we do not know for how long, which means that it is important to have monitoring by the Government and measures by of the Government”, he declared, reinforcing: “It is very difficult to explain to the Portuguese that the situation is better than before the war, than before inflation, the increase in fuel prices, the price of various basic foods. It is very difficult to explain to the Portuguese that this situation is not worse than last year”.

Refusing to enter the parliamentary debate, Marcelo said that he limited himself to “verifying” that the government has already recognized that, “if there is more war and more effects of it,” a new package of measures will be necessary. Regarding the date of entry into force of the same, he was categorical: “September is already tomorrow. Wait a minute, we’ll talk about that later.

When asked if inflation can now be defined as structural and not conjunctural, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa disagreed: “I am not going to say that inflation is structural, because structural inflation is very long-lasting and corresponds to fundamental issues. Now, that it is an inflation that is going to last as long as the war lasts seems evident”.