Eurogroup president says Portugal “very committed” to RRP

The Irish finance minister and president of the Eurogroup of EU finance ministers, Paschal Donohoe, has praised Portugal for its “dedication” in carrying out its Recovery and Resilience Plan. (RRP)

Donohoe said that the RRP plan would bring “enormous opportunities to Portugal” but avoided giving any opinions on the possible impacts of Portugal’s current political crisis.
“The political situation in Portugal is, in large measure, a matter for the politicians in Portugal; it is not really appropriate for me to make comments, but what I do know is that the current government is very dedicated in carrying out its RRP, and the reason that this plan is so important is because it can help economies like Portugal’s that need to push forward towards a more green future”, he said in an interview with the news agency Lusa in Brussels.
With the recent changes caused by high inflation and the impact of the war, Portugal’s RRP now stands at €22.2Bn in grants and loans and covers 44 reforms and 117 investments.
In the interview, Paschal Donohoe also commented on the proposal suggested in October by Prime Minister, António Costa about “a type of permanent RRP” to secure “financing for investments and reforms in times of crisis”.
Donohoe said it was a proposal that was supported by many other governments, but some had different opinions”, which is why it was important that there should be a debate around the subject of the economic instruments that the European Union has available.