The Assembleia da República, Portugal's national parliament, returned to work this Tuesday to open a new legislative session set to be dominated by the 2027 State Budget, a parliamentary committee of inquiry into Minister Luís Neves requested by the right-wing Chega party, and the opening of a review of the constitution.
The government's budget proposal must be submitted to parliament by October 10. Because that date falls on a Saturday this year, the deadline is pushed to Monday, October 12. Debate on the proposal is expected to run for more than a month.
Also marking the return to work are tax relief measures on fuel and on the household food basket.
The Assembleia da República is Portugal's single-chamber parliament, made up of 230 deputies elected from parties including the governing Partido Social Democrata (PSD), the opposition Partido Socialista (PS), Chega, the Bloco de Esquerda (BE), the CDS and Livre. The chamber both passes legislation and holds the government to account through debates and committees of inquiry.
First weeks of business
On September 16, deputies are due to discuss government initiatives to revise the Statute of Administrative and Fiscal Courts. Parliament will also reconsider a decree setting rules for flying flags on public buildings, which the President of the Republic vetoed in June.
The same sitting will cover the Annual Internal Security Report and a BE proposal on irregularities in the national school exams process.
A plenary session on September 17 will debate regulation of online gambling and betting, a debate requested by Livre. In the following weeks, parliament is due to debate health-related initiatives put forward by both the government and PSD, along with the government's request for legislative authorisation to revise the urban rental regime.
Bills left over from the recess
Several initiatives remain pending in specialised committees after being held up by the parliamentary recess.
Among them is a PS bill that would force the state to pay a salary bonus refunding tuition fees to recent graduates, and would guarantee that the incentive can be combined with the IRS Jovem youth tax scheme.
Also pending is a government proposal to waive the Court of Auditors' prior review requirement for public contracts worth more than 10 million euros, and a PSD bill limiting children's access to social media.
Committees are also still working through proposals from PSD, CDS and Chega that would require medical validation before a person's name and gender can be changed in the civil registry.
Other pending items include the creation of a voluntary military reserve, already approved by PS and Chega, a CDS proposal to increase the IRS tax deduction for families with three or more children, and a PS proposal to reinforce the Complemento Garantia para a Infância, a child support supplement.
Fortnightly debate before budget deadline
The next fortnightly debate with the prime minister has been scheduled for October 9, the day before the budget proposal is due in parliament. The budget deadline of October 10 falls on a Saturday, extending the effective deadline to Monday, October 12.
On the same day as the fortnightly debate, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro is also due to take part in a preparatory debate ahead of the next European Council meeting.
Luís Montenegro leads Portugal's PSD-led government. He is scheduled to face parliament twice within the same day in October, once over domestic policy and once over the European Union agenda, before the budget negotiations begin in earnest.
