Parliament will continue to monitor the government without biweekly debates with the Prime Minister

The President of the Assembly of the Republic assured on Friday that Parliament will continue to monitor the government until its dissolution, scheduled for January 15, but without biweekly debates with the Prime Minister or ministers.

Augusto Santos Silva, at the end of the Leaders’ Conference, which met today, spoke about the consequences for parliamentary work resulting from the decision of the President of the Republic to call early elections for March 10, following the resignation of the Prime Minister.

According to the President of the Assembly of the Republic, parliament “will be dissolved around January 15, which means it will function fully until that day.”

“We will ensure the supervision of the government, both in the phase when the government is fully functioning and in the phase in which it will be under management, taking advantage of urgent debates and topical issues,” he said.

On the contrary, the Speaker of Parliament said it was felt that “there is now not much point in holding fortnightly debates with the Prime Minister and Ministers” in the plenary, while retaining the possibility of holding European debates.

The leadership conference will meet again next Tuesday so that the government and the parties can communicate on the issues they consider to be priorities from a legislative perspective.

Santos Silva says this was his proposal, with “consensus of the conference of leaders”, which was opposed by no parliamentary group or deputies.

‘We will keep the budget calendar intact’

The President of the Assembly of the Republic also said that parliament will continue the budget discussion exactly as planned, within the same deadlines, with a final global vote on the document on November 29.

“We will keep the budget calendar intact (…) We will follow all the deadlines already agreed regarding the presentation of amendments by parliamentary groups, hearings of entities yet to be heard and, from the 23rd, the start of the debate in the specialty, which ends on the 29th,” said Augusto Santos Silva.