Brussels, 03/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - Portuguese Finance Minister Maria Luis Albuquerque and Deputy Prime Minister with responsibility for relations with the troika Paulo Portas began a series of meetings on 3 September with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund to discuss the impact of the recent ruling by the country's constitutional court (see EUROPE 10911) and the government's public deficit reduction targets.
In Brussels on Tuesday, the two ministers met Euro Commissioner Olli Rehn and were due to meet the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, in the evening. The two ministers discussed possible alternatives to be drawn up now that the constitutional court has ruled that a draft law to make it easier to sack civil servants is not legal. They also made it clear that Portugal wants greater flexibility for its public deficit reduction targets for 2014, wanting a revised target of 4.5% of GDP, rather than the current target of 4%.
The ministers' meetings are also in preparation for the next assessment mission by the troika (European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund) in Lisbon, which is due to begin on 16 September. The previous mission was postponed due to the political crisis that emerged when former finance minister Vitor Gaspar resigned, a crisis that then intensified amidst social unrest at the austerity measures demanded by the troika. The government suggested combining the eighth and ninth assessment missions into one, which will begin on 16 September. (SP/transl.fl)