Former President Aníbal Cavaco Silva has defended the “reformist action” of Luís Montenegro's government, criticizing the PS for its “lack of courage” and Chega for its “lack of preparation” regarding structural reforms. In an essay for the weekly newspaper Expresso, the former Social Democratic Prime Minister argued that Portugal must achieve an average annual growth of 3%-4% to escape its status as a “relatively poor” EU country. He praised the government's reformist spirit, particularly in public administration and bureaucracy reduction, while accusing the opposition of attempting to govern from Parliament through populist measures that threaten financial sustainability. Cavaco Silva further described the current PS as lacking discernment and trapped by ideological prejudices, and dismissed Chega as a party lacking a coherent ideology, characterized by theatrical rhetoric and a lack of technical preparation.