Left Bloc to abstain in first budget vote; passage now all but assured

  • Lusa
  • 9 January 2020

The Left Bloc announced its intention to abstain in Friday’s first vote on the draft state budget for 2020. The announcement means that the bill’s passage on its first reading is now all but assured.

Portugal’s Left Bloc (BE), the third-largest party in the country’s parliament, on Thursday, announced its intention to abstain in Friday’s first vote on the draft state budget for 2020.

The announcement means that the bill’s passage on its first reading is now all but assured, meaning that it will go on to the committee stage for possible amendment.

With the votes in favour of the 108 Socialist deputies and the abstention of the BE’s 19, as well as deputies for the two other parties that have pledged to abstain in the vote – the Communist Party (PCP – 10 deputies) and People-Animals-Nature (PAN – four deputies), the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD), People’s Party (CDS-PP) and Chega do not have enough votes to block the bill.

The first reading of the budget bill is scheduled for Thursday and Friday. The final vote is to take place on 5 February.