LISBON, Portugal (AP) — When it comes to controlling spending and turning a profit, recent governments in debt-heavy Portugal might take a cue from the book-balancing skills of the Communist Party and the radical Left Bloc.

Those two parties vehemently oppose the austerity policies adopted since Portugal needed a 78 billion-euro ($88.5 billion) in 2011, but prudent financial management of their income brought them an operating profit last year.

Meanwhile, the center-right Social Democratic Party and center-left Socialist Party, both moderate, pro-business parties that traditionally alternate in power, posted combined losses of more than 3 million euros in 2015.

Even so, Luis Patrao, who is in charge of the governing Socialist Party's finances, told daily Publico in comments published Thursday that he's happy because the accounts had "improved drastically" from the previous year.