Opposition proposals to increase meal allowance in the State fail
The proposals from Livre, PCP and Bloco de Esquerda that envisaged increasing the meal subsidy in the Public Administration next year were rejected by parliament this Thursday, during the votes on the specialty of the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026).
Livre’s proposal intended for the value of the meal allowance to rise from the current six euros per day to 11 euros in 2026, arguing that “the accumulated loss of purchasing power fully justifies a new update” and “maintaining the exemption limit provided for meal vouchers”.
On the other hand, the party led by Rui Tavares defended the consequent adaptation of the IRS exemption ceiling that applies to meal subsidies when they are paid via bank card, so that, in practice, subsidies up to 14.3 euros are exempt from tax (30% above the reference value of 11 euros, instead of the 70% that currently applies to six euros).
The PCP and BE propose that the meal allowance for public employees increases to 12 euros per day in 2026.
For the communists, the update would “introduce justice into a component of remuneration that has not undergone any significant update for several years”, while the blockers defended that the “meal allowance becomes a right for all workers, enshrining it in the Labor Code as mandatory”.
After insistence from the unions, the Government confirmed that it intends to increase the public service meal allowance in 2026, but did not specify the amount it will propose at the next meeting with the union structures.
Previously, he had proposed an increase in the public service meal allowance by 10 cents per year from 2027, with a view to reaching 6.30 euros in 2029.
The value was contested by the unions, with the Common Front, linked to the CGTP, defending an increase in the meal allowance to 12 euros, while the STE and Fesap, both linked to the UGT, want an increase to 10 euros.
PSP and GNR now receive paid services within 60 days. PCP proposal approved
A PCP proposal was approved that sets a maximum period of 60 days for the payment of paid services to PSP and GNR professionals. The proposal was rejected by AD and IL and received favorable votes from the remaining benches.
“The value corresponding to paid services carried out by PSP and GNR professionals” (…) must be paid, by the respective institution, within a maximum period of 60 days after the provision of the service”, reads the proposal.
These services include, for example, surveillance of sporting events, the policing of which is paid for by the promoting entities. According to the PCP’s proposal, payment for these services can be made with a delay that exceeds one year.
PS enables PCP proposal to review suicide prevention plan in security forces
The Socialist Party missed two points of a communist proposal to create a legal regime of hygiene and safety at work for professionals in the security forces and services and to review the suicide prevention plan in the security forces and services. Only the PSD and CDS voted against.
In point b, which provided for the hiring of 30 psychologists to support professionals in the security forces and services, the socialists changed to asbtention and this point fell.
Code of ethics for health assistant technicians approved
After rectifying the voting direction, PSD and CDS contributed to approving the PAN proposal so that, in 2026, the Government approves a code of ethical duties applicable to auxiliary health technicians integrated into the National Health Service.
Livre approves proposal to have one psychologist for every 500 students in public schools
Livre managed to approve another proposal, with AD voting against and IL abstaining. The party managed to include in the budget that in 2026 the Government ensures “the creation of the vacancies necessary for the hiring of school psychologists in groups of schools and non-grouped schools that guarantees the ratio of at least 1 psychologist for every 500 students. With the approval of the proposal it becomes “necessary to reserve, in the Budget itself, the funds and authorizations essential for the effective creation of the foreseen vacancies”.
In the proposal, Livre states that the “ratio announced by the Government for 2026 is 1 psychologist for 711 students, which, although it represents progress compared to the current situation, still does not fully comply with what is stipulated in the Law nor is it in line with the warnings about mental health in young people that are public knowledge”.
Extraordinary pension supplement approved
The PSD’s proposal for the Government to pay an extraordinary supplement to pensions in 2026 “depending on the evolution of budget execution and the respective trends in terms of revenue and expenditure” was approved.
IL voted against. PS, Livre, PCP and Bloco abstained. Alongside PSD and CDS was Chega, PAN.
The PCP’s proposal to update pensions by 5%, for a minimum of 75 euros per pensioner was rejected.
AD, Chega, IL and PS united in rejecting the PCP’s proposal to reverse the privatization of TAP
While the period for submitting declarations of interest in TAP is ongoing, the PCP once again asked for the privatization of TAP to be reversed. The initiative received a vote against from the AD, Chega, PS and Liberal Initiative parties.
The remaining parties voted in favor of the proposal, which also involved the Government taking measures to ensure the continuity and stabilization of the ground handling operation by the company SPdH. The former Groundforce, currently Menzies, is at risk of losing its license at Lisbon airport after coming second in the competition launched for this purpose.
Permanent pension increase was rejected
Chega’s proposal to increase pensions by 1.5%, above the legal update, was rejected. The PS abstained. He did not join Chega and the proposal ended up being rejected. The PSD, CDS and IL voted against. The PS had already proposed a different model. In 2026, any extraordinary supplement (paid once) granted by the Government should be converted into a permanent extraordinary update for the purposes of updating the pension value. They voted against PSD, Chega, Liberal Initiative and CDS. The other parliamentary groups voted in favor.
Further to the left, the PCP proposed that, from January 1, 2026, the update for all pensions would correspond to 5% of the pension value, “and the amount of the update cannot be less than 75 euros per pensioner”. It ended up failing with the unfavorable votes of the PSD, the Liberal Initiative and the CDS, the abstention of the PS and Chega, and the favorable votes of the other benches.
The Left Bloc already had a proposal on the table that predicted that, from January 1, 2026, the Government would guarantee an extraordinary increase in pensions, with a minimum value of 50 euros per pensioner. It failed with the unfavorable votes of the PSD, Liberal Initiative and CDS, the abstention of the PS and the favorable votes of the other parliamentary groups.