LISBON, Portugal – Portugal's prime minister says he will seek to accommodate European authorities' concerns about his government's spending plan for this year, but won't give up his promise to end austerity in the debt-heavy eurozone country.
Antonio Costa told Parliament on Friday his government will be "constructive" in talks with the European Commission. At the same time he said he will "stay faithful" to his recent election pledge of switching the government's focus from debt reduction to economic growth and job creation.
European authorities want Portugal to keep cutting spending. The aim is to reduce the debt burden that forced Portugal to ask for a 78 billion-euro ($85 billion) bailout in 2011.
But the two radical leftist parties keeping Costa's minority Socialist government in power are warning him against bowing to Brussels.
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