Housing: Government says unlimited public guarantee to landlords would be a "budgetary irresponsibility"

The Portuguese Minister of Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, criticized the idea of providing unlimited public guarantees to landlords for unpaid rents, labeling it as fiscal irresponsibility. He stated that such a measure would lead to incalculable costs and emphasized that a limited guarantee already exists, covering six months of rent before eviction. Additionally, he dismissed the possibility of state investment in BCP, asserting that the current major shareholders have shown no interest in selling their stakes. He expressed concern over increasing Spanish influence in the Portuguese banking sector, highlighting the need to prevent further consolidation.