As announced by the new spokesperson for the leaders’ conference, Social Democratic Party (PSD) deputy Francisco Figueira, “no agreement” was reached regarding the seating arrangement of deputies, and the issue “will be subject to a decision by the Assembly of the Republic.”
Francisco Figueira indicated that it is up to the parliament president, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, to draft the “resolution project” and thus proceed with the decision on this matter.
In the latest leaders’ conference held on Monday, the PSD gained eight seats in the front row of parliament, up from seven in the previous legislature, yet the distribution of seats in the chamber did not achieve consensus.
On Tuesday, during the first plenary session of the XVII Legislature, the front row of the chamber, from right to left, was occupied by five deputies from Chega, one from the CDS, two from Iniciativa Liberal, eight from the PSD, five from the PS, two from Livre, and one from the PCP.
The most complicated issue arose with the placement of the sole deputies from PAN and JPP (Together for the People) who, as proposed by the PSD, are now seated in the second row immediately to the left of the PS (between the PS and Livre) instead of being positioned, as expected, between the Social Democratic and Socialist benches.
This PSD proposal, despite receiving majority support in that leaders’ conference, was contested by the PCP and, notably, by Livre.
Isabel Mendes Lopes, the parliamentary leader of Livre, highlighted the issue in the first plenary session of the legislature, requesting that the parliament president resolve the problem, complaining that she cannot turn around and dialogue with her bench, as the six deputies are not seated together along three rows.
