The Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) has escalated its criticism of the government’s energy policy, demanding immediate explanations for the disconnect between international crude oil movements and domestic fuel prices.
Opposition lawmakers argue that while global benchmark prices may fluctuate, the pass-through to Portuguese consumers has been disproportionately high and slow to reverse when crude costs decline.
The political pressure intensifies against a backdrop of severe cost-of-living inflation for households and transport operators.
According to data from the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology, consumer fuel prices in Portugal accelerated sharply in May, with diesel costs rising 30.3% and gasoline 95 up 19.3% compared to the same month in 2025.
These figures underscore the vulnerability of the domestic market to global supply shocks and the limited effectiveness of current regulatory mechanisms in dampening price volatility.
Socialist representatives have stated that the explanations provided by the Minister for the Environment and Energy in parliament were insufficient.