The day was highlighted by the approval of proposals from the Socialist Party (PS) to exempt tolls on the entire A25 in Costa da Prata and the Litoral and Alta Beiras, as well as on two sections of the A6 and A2 in Alentejo. Additionally, it called for exempting heavy vehicles from tolls on Porto’s Outer Ring Road (A41) and parts of the A19 and A8 in the Leiria region.
The proposals faced opposition from the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and CDS-PP after the government warned about the costs of these measures. The Technical Unit for Budget Support (UTAO) estimates that exempting the A6 and A2 could result in an “annual loss of toll revenue” amounting to 23.8 million euros by 2026, including 4.5 million euros in VAT.
The party Chega presented five toll-related initiatives, all of which were rejected.
The parliament approved increasing the Constitutional Court’s budget by 1.6 million euros, as proposed by Chega, following a request by judges at Palácio Ratton during a parliamentary hearing. However, a similar initiative by PAN, PS, Livre, PCP, BE, and JPP was rejected later.
Chega led the opposition with ten approved proposals, including revising the regulations for issuing residence certificates for foreign citizens, limiting the number of certificates per house. This was supported by PSD and CDS-PP.
Parliament also approved a Chega proposal to extend the book voucher scheme to ‘e-books’ for young people turning 18 in 2026.
The Socialist Party (PS) successfully passed six initiatives, including the permanent installation of the Central Administrative Court of the Center in Castelo Branco, urging the government to take necessary measures to enforce existing laws.
The final stages of voting also involved a debate on the admissibility of a proposal by PAN, PS, Livre, PCP, BE, and JPP regarding the Constitutional Court. The president of the Budget, Finance, and Public Administration Committee argued against admitting it because it added more deputies to PAN’s initiative. Nevertheless, the proposal was voted on and rejected.
The PSD and CDS-PP, supporting the government, saw only three proposals approved on a day filled mostly with opposition proposals.
From other parties, only two proposals by Livre, one by PAN, and one by PCP were approved.
Over the four-day marathon of voting in the specialization phase, 163 proposals were approved, with the PS leading opposition measures. While voting on individual items ended today, additional proposals will still be voted on in plenary on Thursday, which could alter the results.
The final global vote on the State Budget for 2026 is scheduled for this Thursday, November 27, in parliament.
