Lešt, Slovakia, Dec. 19, 2025 (Lusa) - The prime minister said on Friday that current investment in defence now and in the coming years "is unparalleled in Portugal" and considered it "a prerequisite" for maintaining both the values of peace and continuing economic and social development.
Luís Montenegro was speaking at the start of a lunch with Portuguese military personnel from the first National Detached Force (FND) in Slovakia, who are in that country as part of a NATO mission.
"The effort we are making at the moment and will make in the coming years is unparalleled in our history," he said, highlighting the investment in both military careers and equipment.
Montenegro explained that this investment is being made in the name of national autonomy and sovereignty and for the guarantees given to allies in international organisations such as NATO, stressing that Europe today faces a reality "that was perhaps a little dormant, which is the reality of danger".
"The threat, the offence, the aggression to its values. Or to put it even more simply, the existence of enemies, the real existence of enemies," he said, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The prime minister considered that investment in defence "is a precondition" for sustaining social welfare spending in areas such as health, education and housing.
"This investment is a conscious investment, it is an investment that we do not want to harm the country's economic and social development, but which is crucial for us to be a developed country and a country that gives opportunities to everyone," he said.
Luis Montenegro wanted to take this opportunity to tell the Portuguese people that, in order to have a stronger economy, Portugal must be a safe country.
"We must have guarantees that there will be no hostile manipulation or disinformation campaigns by our enemies to undermine our democracy," he stressed.
As he has argued on several occasions, Luís Montenegro stressed that investment in defence can have an impact on the Portuguese economy and industry.
"In the coming years, we will have industry in this area in Portugal, whether in aeronautics, ammunition, vehicles, components, or all other areas necessary for the provision of services, marketing, and industry needed to fuel this defence industrial base that we are building," he said.
At the end of November, the Cabinet approved Portugal's formal application to the European SAFE defence loan programme, worth €5.8 billion.
Montenegro pointed out that this investment will also be used to recover and rejuvenate "emblematic equipment that was once very strategic for Portugal, such as the Alfeite Arsenal," (ship repair yard on the south bank of the river Tagus in the Lisbon district) which had already been announced by the defence minister.
Accompanied by the defence minister, Nuno Melo, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMGFA), General José Nunes da Fonseca, the head of government arrived, wearing a camouflage jacket, at around 2:15 p.m. at the Lešt military base, located about two and a half hours from the Slovak capital, where around 120 Portuguese soldiers are stationed.
Upon arrival, a brief military ceremony took place, followed by the signing of the guest books and an exchange of institutional souvenirs.
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