PSD's Last-Ditch Effort to Negotiate with PS on Marcelo's Veto Fails

A Last Attempt to Avoid Institutional Conflict

Hugo Soares, the parliamentary leader and secretary-general of the PSD, made a last-ditch effort to determine whether the PS, led by Pedro Nuno Santos, would be open to accepting President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's veto regarding the new map of freguesias, aiming to prevent an institutional clash. The response from the socialists was clear and unequivocal: no.

On the night of February 12, after 10 PM, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa formally announced his veto against the decree from the Assembly of the Republic that would disaggregate 135 unions of freguesias, expressing doubts about the ability to implement the new map before the upcoming municipal elections.

This decision caught local officials and parliamentary parties by surprise, especially since, earlier in January, Marcelo had made public statements that seemed to rule out the possibility of a veto. After his announcement, the Parliament faced two options: confront the President and reconfirm the diploma or heed Marcelo’s recommendation.

A Stalemate with the PS

Any decision would hinge on negotiations between the PS and the PSD. However, the PS quickly announced it would maintain its support for confirming the decree, placing the ball back in the PSD's court. Soares requested time to consider their next steps, emphasizing the need for calm and seriousness in their decision-making process.

PSD's Final Decision

Despite the uncertainty, Hugo Soares eventually declared that the PSD would indeed reconfirm the diploma for disaggregating the freguesias, despite weighing the President's words carefully. He justified this decision based on the expectations already established within the communities affected by the initial approval of the project.

Even though the PSD voted in favor of the diploma, this decision was not without controversy. In December 2024, Soares had raised concerns regarding the legality of the process for disaggregating certain freguesias and whether it could be completed in an election year, but these doubts did not change the party's voting stance.