Lisbon, June 18, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, has warned that “no one can afford to rest on their laurels” and that the government, businesses and universities must prepare to apply for the future European Competitiveness Fund.
“No one can afford to rest on their laurels. The government, the civil service, universities, polytechnics and economic actors must be at the forefront of preparations for 1 January 2028, fully committed from the very outset to engaging in this competitive process,” argued the head of government, during the parliamentary debate on Wednesday in preparation for the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday, at which the European Union’s next budget (the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034) will be discussed.
The EU’s proposal provides for the creation of a fund aimed at businesses and universities, which will have to submit projects in competition with other countries.
“We must prepare the country for competitive funding. We cannot be afraid of competition; we must beat the competition,” emphasised Montenegro.
Speaking on behalf of the PS, Eduardo Pinheiro considered that “this new reality demands a much greater capacity for foresight, preparation and coordination”.
“It is not a question of capability, but of whether we are structurally prepared to compete with the best projects in Europe,” he emphasised.
Regarding the next EU multiannual budget, the prime minister stated that the latest proposal from the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU “is a starting point; it is still far from being the end point”.
Portugal, he continued, prioritises “cohesion policies and a framework that does not undermine the progress it has made so far”, whilst also “not forgetting the outermost regions”, the Azores and Madeira, and seeking to “further clarify the conditions for implementing and accessing competitive funds, particularly those relating to competitiveness”.
“We want a more competitive, less bureaucratic Europe, focused on knowledge and innovation, so that we do not once again fall behind in development,” he argued.
The prime minister recalled that the Commission “has proposed an increase in resources which requires the approval of member states”, he said, anticipating “very difficult negotiations”.
“We need to strengthen the budget (…) but the member states must be willing; there must be political support,” he added.
Montenegro indicated that he believes “one way to secure a slightly larger share of the pie is to postpone, delay or rethink the method of repaying the PRR”.
“Since we do not have the opportunity to take on more shared debt, let us take this chance to reschedule the debt we already have and allow it to be put to use, or for the funds that were earmarked to pay it off to be put to use in the next multiannual financial framework,” he said.
With this measure, he emphasised, “no one will be left any worse off; there is no problem with approval by national parliaments; and there is no need to change the underlying philosophy”.
JH/AYLS // AYLS
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