Parliamentary work returns, fight against inflation sets the agenda

Parliamentary work officially kicks off next week and will be marked by economic issues and the fight against the rising cost of living, with a focus on discussion of government measures, namely those related to pensions.

The presence of the government this Wednesday in the Standing Committee of the Assembly of the Republic – a body that works during the holiday break – was the “starting point” for the resumption of the work of Parliament.

The resumption of the plenary sessions and the full functioning of the parliament is scheduled for September 14, the day when the two commissions of inquiry proposed by Chega will be discussed (for the reliability of the government’s annual security reports and another to determine the causes of death). in 2020 and 2021) and a government proposal for international security cooperation.

But in the context of inflation, the SDP emergency social program will be discussed on the agenda on September 15, and the next day it will be the government’s turn to draft a social support package that needs to pass through parliament.

This bill defines “the rent renewal factor for 2023, creates extraordinary rent support, reduces VAT on electricity supply” from 13% to 6%, and establishes a transitional pension renewal regime – which will apply from January next year.

The SDP has already requested parliamentary consideration of a government decree that establishes exceptional family support measures to mitigate the effects of inflation, including, among other things, an exceptional allowance for pensioners equivalent to half the pension paid in October, and substantiated this request, as pensioners consider it A “political hoax” coupled with a proposed law that would amend pension increases in 2023 and be debated in parliament.

On the same day, the government’s proposed resolutions aimed at ratifying Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO, already approved by the allies, as well as IL’s initiatives to reduce bureaucracy in filing a monthly remuneration report with the tax office, will be discussed. and Social Security, PCP for exclusive dedication to SNS and BE for housing.

An interpellation to the Government has already been scheduled for September 21st, at the request of Chega, “on the next failures in extinguishing fires” and on September 22nd, at the request of the PS, the agenda will be fixed with a topic that will be announced.

This week, the vote will take place on Thursday instead of the traditional Friday, as Parliament will hold a solemn session on September 23 to approve the Constitution of 1822 – which came into force on the same day 200 years ago.

Some more contentious cases that were interrupted by the holidays should now be resumed, but with inflation predominating on the agenda, it is not known whether MPs will be able to finalize them before or after the discussion of the State Budget (GB) for 2023. when all parliamentary work is focused only on this topic.

Among the diplomas to be renewed are those aiming to decriminalize medically assisted death, the metadata law, or Chega’s resolution condemning the behavior of parliamentary president Augusto Santos Silva.

This week, PAN’s only MP, Inés Souza Real, will present to the Constitutional Affairs Committee an opinion on the permissibility of Chega’s initiative after the PSD asked for a pretext for doing so, refusing to feed any political “folklore”.

Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Republic, whose central point is to consider models of parliamentary debates with the Prime Minister, must be completed in time to be voted on in the plenary session on October 14, before the debate begins. OR

Upon returning to São Bento, the parties also scheduled several parliamentary days, with the Chega days taking place this Sunday and the 12th, coinciding with PS day (12th and 13th), IL on the 19th and 20th th. as well as PSD, whose days are scheduled for October 17 and 18.