The President of the Portuguese Republic dissolves the Parliament

A week and a day after the rejection of the 2022 budget, the President of the Portuguese Republic decided to dissolve the Assembly of the Republic and call elections for January 30, 2022. 

The President of the Portuguese Republic dissolves the Parliament

This is the first time in 45 years of Assembly that the state budget has not been approved. The rejection didn't happen at any time, in any case, it was a decisive moment for the Portuguese, it was a decisive year in Portugal for a sustainable exit from the pandemic and the crisis (...) In a word, it was a particularly important budget at a particularly important time for all of us," he began.

According to the Head of State, "this was not a one-off rejection, of circumstances, for minor disagreements" between the PS and the parties to its left which allowed the previous budgets, PCP, BE and ENP, and which have now voted against. "It was fundamental, substantive, because of larger divergences, in relevant social areas, in the budget or beyond, such as social security or labor legislation," he retorted. "Differences so great that they became insurmountable", he stressed, understanding that "there was no third way".

In his opinion, in the current circumstances, this result is incomprehensible to the Portuguese. "Nothing less understandable, I think, for the ordinary citizen, who wanted the budget to be passed, who really expected it to be passed, who understood that one health crisis was enough, another in the economy, another in society, and that for this reason he dispensed, I'm sure, even more

The President of the Portuguese Republic defended that "in moments like this, there is always a solution in democracy, without dramatization or fear" and that "it is part of the very life of democracy to give the word back to the people".

The installation of new legislative election is the only way for the Portuguese to meet their national representatives again, to decide what they want for the coming years, which are decisive years, in the effects of the pandemic, in the volume of funds, to rebuild the economy and society". "And choose those who will vote as soon as possible on the budget Portugal needs," he added.

According to the ConstitutionEarly parliamentary elections must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of parliament, which can therefore only be called from December 1.