Portuguese parliament rejects 2022 budget triggering potential snap election

Lisbon, Oct 27 (EFE).- Portugal’s parliament on Wednesday rejected the 2022 budget proposed by prime minister Antonio Costa’s socialist government, which holds a minority in parliament, opening the door to snap elections.

The only ones to vote in favor of the budget were the Socialist deputies, while the entire right wing, left-wing Bloco de Esquerda and the Communist party voted against.

This is the first rejection of a budget in the history of Portugal’s democracy.

It is now up to Portugal’s president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to decide whether to call early elections or not.

Sousa had already warned that if the accounts did not prosper, he would dissolve parliament and call snap elections.

In a speech prior to the vote, Costa said he was prepared for the budget not to pass parliament and called for a stable majority in the next legislature.

The prime minister assured that his government would leave head high and with a clear conscience and guaranteed governance of the country, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. EFE

pfm-mar/mp/eld