The Assembly of the Republic will debate on Wednesday in a plenary session whether or not to establish a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), following a proposal submitted by the Liberal Initiative (IL).
The vote is scheduled for Friday, July 11, and indications suggest that the proposal for the inquiry will be approved.
For several months, INEM has been embroiled in controversy, with political parties criticizing the government and some calling for the resignation of Health Minister Ana Paula Martins.
From long waits for emergency response to closed urgent care departments, the opposition highlights a “lack of response”.
The Social Democratic Party (PSD), through its parliamentary leader Hugo Soares, has announced its intention to abstain from the Liberal Initiative’s proposal to establish a parliamentary commission of inquiry.
“From the PSD’s perspective, if it is Parliament’s intention that this commission can investigate what has been the underfunding of INEM for several consecutive years, the neglect of INEM over several consecutive years, and if it can even make a comparison with the investment made in INEM in the last year, then I believe this inquiry has a purpose,” he stated.
He added: “Therefore, with our abstention, we will enable the commission proposed by the IL.”
The parliamentary leader of the PSD announced today that the party will abstain from the IL’s proposal to open a parliamentary commission of inquiry (CPI) into the situation at INEM, ensuring its approval.
Lusa | 19:13 – 08/07/2025
INEM? Hugo Soares points finger at PS
“PS should be ashamed before talking about INEM. For eight years, PS abandoned INEM in Portugal. In one year, we not only reallocated resources but also hired staff and put in order a house that PS had neglected,” said the PSD’s Secretary-General and parliamentary leader.
PS does not oppose the parliamentary commission
Socialist leader Maria Antónia de Almeida stated that the PS will not oppose the CPI but emphasized: “We do not want a commission of inquiry to distract from the essential, which is to know what the Prime Minister thinks about this, a year after announcing plans that failed.”
“PS’s position is closely tied to a stance it has taken in the past regarding other commissions of inquiry, but I think this issue will be discussed tomorrow [Wednesday] in the parliamentary group, and the parliamentary leader will then be able to respond with the group’s position,” she noted.
PS will not oppose the commission of inquiry into the INEM situation, with approval already secured, but did not disclose its voting intention, only refusing for this parliamentary tool to “distract from the essential”.
Lusa | 22:11 – 08/07/2025
Chega and PCP to support IL initiative
The leader of Chega, André Ventura, mentioned last week that he would vote in favor of the inquiry request proposed by the Liberal Initiative. Yesterday, he reiterated his position and stated that the institute “is mismanaged and its funds are diverted”.
He also defended the need for “an audit of the Ministry of Health’s operations”.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the PCP announced that it would also vote in favor of the CPI on INEM, believing there are political responsibilities of the government to be clarified.
Paula Santos declared that the communist caucus will “support” this initiative, considering that “there are indeed matters that are politically responsible and these are the issues that the Assembly of the Republic also evaluates within its competencies”. “But there is above all a lack of response by the government in ensuring INEM receives the necessary resources,” emphasized the communist caucus leader.
Will the parliamentary commission of inquiry be approved?
It appears that the parliamentary commission of inquiry into INEM will be approved. In addition to the Liberal Initiative, which proposed it, both Chega and the PCP will vote in favor, totaling 72 votes.
The PSD will abstain, and even if the remaining parties, including the PS, voted against, the inquiry’s approval would be secured.
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