Portugal: parliamentary elections hinge on labour issues

Ahead of Portugal's early parliamentary elections on 18 May, the third round since 2021, the latest polls indicate that a large majority of votes are split between three parties: the outgoing centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), the Socialist Party (PS) and the far-right Chega party. While all three parties are proposing a significant minimum wage rise, they differ in terms of their approaches to boosting the birth rate and improving working conditions, as well as the prominence of social dialogue. Here is an overview.

The three parties set to win the most seats in Portugal’s early parliamentary elections on 18 May – and those that could even secure a comfortable or absolute majority – agree in their programmes that the minimum monthly wage should reach €1,000 in the near future. However, they have adopted quite different options for overcoming the many obstacles – demographic stagnation, labour shortages, low levels of training among the working population, emigration of the most highly qualified, and poor social dialogue – that are preventing the country from reducing poverty and developing its industrial base.

A minimum wage of €1,000 in 2026?

Both the Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition and its two main rivals, the PS and Chega, are proposing a rapid increase in the national minimum wage (SMN), currently set at €870 per month over 14 months (or €1,015 over 12 months). While the AD and PS are proposing the same increase, raising the SMN to €1,100 in 2029,…

Gilmar Sequeira Martins

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