In his New Year’s address, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro highlighted the need to "advance digitalization," "promote regulated immigration," and "eradicate violence against women and children." He stated that 2025 should be marked by the theme of "investment," which he has chosen as the year’s keyword, while emphasizing the government’s goal to build a fairer, more inclusive, and more competitive country. This stance was previously outlined during an interview with Diário de Notícias (DN) on December 29, 2024.
In an article published in Jornal de Notícias at the turn of the year, titled Portugal in Motion (Portugal em movimento), the Prime Minister wrote that this year is one for moving forward "without hesitation in building a renewed country—fairer, freer, more democratic, more tolerant, more competitive, and with greater wealth."
"The keywords are investment, investment, investment: executing public investment, stimulating domestic private and business investment, and attracting foreign investment that seeks predictability and security," he stressed.
The Prime Minister believes that "only in this way" can Portugal "continue to save the welfare state—with concrete and constructive actions, not empty words, obstacles, or fear of change."
He stated, "This new year of 2025 begins imbued with renewal and hope. Renewal in policies, goals, energy, and commitment. Hope in the results, the opportunities we will seize, and the challenges we will overcome." He also noted that the legislative elections held in March 2024 "ushered in a shift in the political cycle, resulting in a movement of transformation for the country that has directly impacted the living conditions of Portuguese citizens."
Montenegro emphasized that his government "is here to improve people’s lives," not "to leave things as they are, nor to criticize or justify itself by pointing to the past."
The Prime Minister also highlighted priority areas for the government, including health, education, and the energy transition. "We will continue to tackle bureaucracy in state agencies and services, advance digitalization, and enhance proximity with citizens. We will continue to promote regulated immigration—neither with closed doors nor wide-open ones—welcoming and integrating with dignity and humanity those who choose Portugal as their home and workplace. We will continue to invest in public housing—the largest investment since the 1990s—and encourage the construction of homes at moderate prices, whether for purchase or rent. We will also continue to safeguard security as one of the country’s greatest assets, fighting violent crime, drug trafficking, as well as corruption and economic crimes," he outlined.
Reflecting on various measures implemented by the government since taking office in April 2024, Montenegro stated that in 2025, the government will "continue to stand alongside all people, especially the most vulnerable, isolated, and unprotected."
"On January 1, which is also World Peace Day, it is important to remember that peace begins within the four walls of every home, which should be the safest place in the world. Violence, especially against women and children, must be firmly combated and eradicated," he asserted, also highlighting "the stability and opportunities that Portugal offers its citizens and the world," in light of the international landscape.
In an interview with Diário de Notícias published on the newspaper's 160th anniversary on December 29, Montenegro had already emphasized the government’s selection of "investment" as the watchword for 2025.
"From my perspective and that of the government, the primary effort must be to stimulate investment and attract direct foreign investment. These are two sides of the same coin. We are on a good trajectory for public investment, but we are constrained by very tight deadlines," he stated.
"In this sense, we will recover in the next two years much of the investment lost over the past eight years. Now, investment is the watchword. It is the watchword for those who are here and for those who observe us from abroad," Montenegro added in the interview, where he also dismissed accusations of extremism and argued that immigrants should be seen as "new Portuguese citizens."