Berlin, Sept. 12, 2025 (Lusa) - The Portuguese president said on Friday that the domestic economy is on the "right track", pointing out that international assessments are "very, very good", which he said was important for attracting foreign investment.
"We are on the right track. We are on the right track and this is something that I took the opportunity to emphasise to President [Frank-Walter] Steinmeier of Germany, because Portugal is receiving international assessments that are very, very good," said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in statements to journalists after having lunch at a Portuguese restaurant in Berlin, where he is on an official visit.
The country's president was responding to a question about statements made by prime minister Luís Montenegro, who said today that he had heard that another agency was "about to" raise Portugal's rating, pointing out that, fifteen years after the “troika”, "Portugal is now an example in Europe from a financial point of view".
(The Troika in Portugal refers to the period from 2011 to 2014 when the country received a financial adjustment programme, supervised by a joint mission from the International Monetary Fund , the European Commission and the European Central Bank. The aim was to resolve the sovereign debt crisis by imposing austerity measures and structural reforms, but these had lasting social and economic consequences, including an increase in public debt and job insecurity).
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa considered that these international assessments are important for Portugal at a time when, "in Europe and in many countries around the world", the economic situation "is still critical".
"It is important that, at the macro level - that is, in terms of the big numbers of the economy and, above all, the finances of the State - we have a very, very positive assessment," he said.
The country's president said that, on his official visit to Germany, he is being accompanied by the secretary of state for Tourism, Trade and Services, Pedro Machado, who today spoke to him about the "investments being made and considered" in Portugal, not only by Europeans but also by north Americans.
"And in various areas, besides tourism, at a time of uncertainty, being able to invest in Portugal with the certainty provided by international assessments is very important for everyone," he argued.
Asked whether national political stability contributes to reducing the feeling of instability at the international level, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied: "Without a doubt."
"This was one of the issues that naturally concerns President Steinmeier and concerns me, which is that, fortunately, there is political stability in Portugal and Germany. Let us hope that this is the case in all states," he said.
Fitch will today announce its assessment of Portugal's rating, which is currently close to the highest levels in the main agencies' ratings.
DBRS rates sovereign debt at A (high) and Moody's at A3, while Fitch currently has a rating of A-.
S&P was the last agency to assess the rating on 29 August and upgraded it from “A” to “A+”, just six months after another upgrade.
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