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Parliament to open to the public every Saturday

Monday, 5 October 2026AI summary
📍 Lisbon🏛️ Government🎭 Culture#parliament#public-access#tourism#government-policy
Parliament to open to the public every Saturday
Photo: RTP Notícias

The Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) will open its doors to the public every Saturday starting at the end of October. President of the Assembly of the Republic José Pedro Aguiar-Branco announced the measure during the October 5th Republic Day commemorations to bring citizens closer to democratic institutions. Aguiar-Branco also suggested limiting the number of simultaneous parliamentary inquiry committees to two.

Update: Chega Opposes Limits on Simultaneous Parliamentary Inquiries

Chega strongly rejected José Pedro Aguiar-Branco's proposal to cap simultaneous parliamentary inquiries at two, with party leader André Ventura demanding an immediate inquiry into Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves. Aguiar-Branco maintained that limiting inquiries ensures adequate participation from smaller parties while ongoing investigations into the National Institute of Medical Emergency (Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica or INEM) and forest fires wrap up. Ventura argued the proposal shields the government and delays scrutiny of Neves' past tenure heading the Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária or PJ).

Context & Explainers

Who is José Pedro Aguiar‑Branco?

José Pedro Aguiar‑Branco is the President of the Assembly of the Republic, who in this story requested that the Committee on Constitutional Affairs examine the constitutional conformity of government measures in a proposed bill. He is using his parliamentary role to trigger a formal review of changes affecting confession rules and the rights of the defence.

São Bento refers to São Bento Palace (Palácio de São Bento), the historic building in Lisbon that houses the Assembly of the Republic (Portugal’s parliament) and is often used in the media as a shorthand for the national government. For expats, protests directed at São Bento signal demonstrations at the seat of political power and can cause road closures and increased police presence in central Lisbon.

André Ventura

André Ventura, born January 15, 1983, is a lawyer, academic, and Portugal's most prominent far-right leader. He founded Chega ("Enough") in 2019 after his PSD mayoral campaign attacked the Romani community. Chega surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest party and making Ventura Leader of the Opposition.

His platform emphasizes immigration restrictions, law-and-order policies, constitutional reform, and contains inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric that has triggered multiple discrimination convictions and investigations. Politically classified as far-right by international media, Ventura cultivates alliances with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen and Santiago Abascal.

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