Lisbon, May 4, 2026 (Lusa) – The workers’ committee of Petrogal, a Portuguese oil refining company owned by Galp, on Monday criticised the minister for the environment’s statements regarding the proposed Galp/Moeve asset deal, arguing that they fail to defend the national interest, and are therefore calling for the Portuguese president to intervene.
In a statement, the workers’ committee, CCT, said that the minister’s recent positions had “astonished” workers, arguing that her initial enthusiastic statements regarding the deal had confirmed, in their view, that “those who were mistaken were those who believed” that the minister would fulfil a mandate aimed at defending the country.
The workers’ representative body accused the government of downplaying the strategic importance of the Sines refinery, which they consider an essential asset for energy sovereignty and national economic development.
In the same statement, the CCT criticised what it described as “arguments devoid of logical or factual basis” on the part of the government, accusing it of shirking its responsibilities.
The workers’ reaction follows an interview given by the minister to the newspaper ECO on 28 April, in which she suggested that the deal between Galp and Moeve could be positive for the energy sector and for the scale of the Portuguese company.
Maria da Graça Carvalho stated that the government is convinced of the agreement’s benefits, emphasising that the creation of a larger group could boost investment, employment and competitiveness in a demanding international context.
The minister dismissed concerns regarding the loss of energy sovereignty, arguing that the deal would allow Galp to gain access to other refineries and include a stronger group in the Iberian Peninsula.
In this context, the workers emphasised that they had submitted well-founded proposals to various bodies, including the prime minister and the minister for the environment, without receiving any response.
Given the current international landscape, marked by geopolitical tensions and disruptions to energy supplies, the workers argue that these factors reinforce the need to preserve refining capacity in the country.
The CCT also recalled the closure of the Porto refinery, which it attributes to political decisions, warning of the risk of a repeat of scenarios which, in its view, undermine national energy autonomy.
In this regard, the committee called for the intervention of the country's president, António José Seguro, requesting “decisive and urgent” action to halt a deal it considers detrimental to the national interest, in the face of what it describes as “inaction and the government’s complicit silence”.
On 8 January, Galp and Moeve announced an agreement to move towards the potential integration of their oil refining and processing ("downstream") businesses in the Iberian Peninsula, creating two European energy platforms: one industrial and the other focused on mobility.
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