Conference | Fiscal transparency in times of misinformation: the role of Independent Fiscal Institutions

The Portuguese Public Finance Council hold a conference entitled ‘Fiscal transparency in times of misinformation: the role of Independent Fiscal Institutions (IFIs)’ on 24 February, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon.

The event aimed to highlight the importance of transparency in public finances in a context marked not only by the growing circulation of inaccurate information, but also by the complexity of issues related to public finances. The conference emphasised the role of Independent Fiscal Institutions (IFIs) as central entities in promoting this transparency, demonstrating how their educational role, supported by rigorous and impartial technical analyses, can contribute to a more informed and serious fiscal debate.

The opening session featured speeches by Nazaré da Costa Cabral, Chair of the CFP's Senior Board, and Filipa Urbano Calvão, President of the Court of Auditors, followed by a presentation by the keynote speaker, Xavier Debrun, Chief Economist at the Bank of France.

The first panel, ‘Between high public debt and spending pressures: the educational role of IFIs on the effects of political decisions’, brought together: Pieter Hasekamp, President of the European Fiscal Board; Scherie Nicol, Lead - Independent Fiscal Institutions at the OECD; and Lilia Cavallari, President of the Italian Parliamentary Budget Office. The session was moderated by Carlos Marinheiro, Head of Staff at the CFP.

The second panel, dedicated to the theme ‘The Portuguese Public Finance Council and the transposition of the new European economic governance framework: what has been done and what remains to be done’, featured the participation of: Carlos Costa, former Governor of the Bank of Portugal; Óscar Afonso, Director of the Faculty of Economics of Porto; and Carlos Lobo, Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and Founding Partner of Lobo Carmona e Associados. The debate was moderated by economic journalist Pedro Santos Guerreiro.

The closing session was be led by Lorenzo Forni, Vice-President of the CFP's Senior Board.

Date of last update: 24/02/2026