Lisbon, Feb. 1, 2026 (Lusa) - The prime minister said on Sunday that the total value of public aid to respond to the consequences of Storm Kristin will be €2.5 billion, estimating that 34,000 personnel have been or are currently on the ground.
Luís Montenegro was speaking at the end of the extraordinary cabinet meeting, which took place at the prime minister's official residence in São Bento (Lisbon) and lasted about three hours.
"From the outset, we have maintained a spirit of absolute cooperation and solidarity with serenity and a sense of responsibility, involving around 34,000 operational staff on the ground, from our security forces and services and Civil Protection, to the Armed Forces, members from various state departments, infrastructure, social services, to the invaluable support of our local authority officials," he assured.
Montenegro stated that "it has been constant work, it has been hard work," which has relied on "the absolutely unparalleled dedication of all members of the government" and the "spirit of mutual aid and solidarity of citizens,"
"I want to leave a word of hope to those who are injured. I want to leave a word of presence and comfort to those who have felt most alone, to those who have felt most distant at a time when much of what is most essential is not available or has not been available, starting with the supply of electricity, communications, and water," he said.
The prime minister stated that the government's priorities were directed "so that no one would feel alone."
"From the very first minute, all the forces on the ground worked to restore mobility so that everyone could be contacted and transported if necessary, and this work for those in the affected areas was absolutely incredible in clearing all the roads that had become impassable," he said.
Montenegro said that most of the work to restore the electricity supply has already been done, but acknowledged that "it still affects around 167,000 homes out of the more than one million that were affected".
"We are mobilising all our capacity in the public sector, the social sector and the private sector so that everything is restored as soon as possible," he added.
In addition to credit lines for businesses and support for the reconstruction of permanent homes, the government has decided to provide financial support to families in need or those who have lost their income from social security, amounting to up to €537 per individual or €1,075 per household.
In dialogue with the financial system, a "90-day moratorium on loans to businesses and mortgages for the purchase of permanent homes" was also agreed, with the possibility of extending this grace period to 12 months.
The cabinet also decided to implement a scheme exempting companies in these affected areas from social security contributions for the next six months, as well as a simplified lay-off scheme for the next three months.
In terms of taxation, a moratorium was decided until 31 March, with all tax obligations from 28 January to 31 March being postponed to April.
Montenegro also announced additional transfers of €400 million to Infraestruturas de Portugal for more urgent interventions in the railway and motorway networks; €200 million to CCDR to provide local authorities with the most necessary and urgent funding for the restoration of public facilities and infrastructure, "starting with schools"; and €20 million for the most urgent restoration of cultural heritage.
SMA/ADB // ADB.PSC
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