Politics
Parliament
approves ban on the use of burqa in public spaces in Portugal
Chega's
proposal had the support of PSD, Liberal Initiative and CDS. PS, Livre, PCP and
Bloco de Esquerda voted against, while PAN and JPP abstained.
David
Pereira
Published
to:
17 Oct
2025, 13:44
Updated
to:
17 Oct
2025, 15:14
The
Assembly of the Republic approved this Friday, October 17, the ban on the use
of the burqa in public spaces in Portugal.
Chega's
proposal had the support of PSD, Liberal Initiative and CDS. PS, Livre, PCP and
Bloco de Esquerda voted against, while PAN and JPP abstained.
While IL
and CDS-PP declared support for Chega's project that "prohibits the
concealment of the face in public spaces, with certain exceptions", the
PSD said it was "available to take this path", but argued that
"the text presented can and should be improved in terms of
specialty". With some prudence, the deputy and vice-president of the
Social Democratic bench, Andreia Neto, argued that without security there is no
freedom and agreed that "it is legitimate" for the State to legislate
in this type of rules of public space.
On the
left, the PS argued that care is needed in the drafting of laws, in a context
in which the far right wants to "direct hatred" against a
"specific target", in this case the Muslim community. The
vice-president of the socialist bench, Pedro Delgado Alves, says that there is
no one in Parliament "who feels comfortable with wearing the burqa",
but warns that the debate promoted by Chega only intends to "attack
foreigners".
PCP and
BE, on the other hand, contested the proposal, while Livre accused Chega of
presenting a purposely "badly done" project and therefore did not
want to value this debate.
With this
initiative, Chega proposes that "the use, in public spaces, of clothing
intended to hide or hinder the display of the face" be prohibited, with
some exceptions. At the opening of the debate, the leader of Chega specified
that the objective is to prohibit "women from wearing burqas in
Portugal" and addressed in particular immigrants.
"Whoever
arrives in Portugal, wherever they come from, from whatever region they come
from, with the customs they have or with the religion they have, has to above
all comply, respect and make respected the customs of this country and the
values of this country", he defended.
André
Ventura considered that a woman "forced to wear a burqa" is no longer
"free and independent, she has become an object" and accused the left
of hypocrisy for defending women's rights but accepting "a culture that
oppresses them".
The
president of Chega pointed out that "several European countries have
already moved towards the prohibition of burqas in public space" and said
that the European Court of Human Rights has decided that the French law in the
same sense does not contravene the European Convention on Human Rights.
At the
end of the debate, Madalena Cordeiro, also from Chega, said, from the podium:
"This is not the Bangladesh in which they do everything as you
please". The deputy also said that "enough of pretending that all
cultures are equal".
Chega's
arguments, sanctions and exceptions
The bill
intends to prohibit the use "of clothing intended to hide the display of
the face". Although the word burqa is not explicitly mentioned, in the
argument of the law André Ventura's party points to the example of countries
such as Denmark, France or Belgium, which have already banned the use of the
Islamic veil in public spaces.
Chega
also cites the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, which states that
"all citizens have the same social dignity and are equal before the
law" and "no one can be privileged, benefited, harmed, deprived of
any right or exempt from any duty on account of ancestry, sex, race, language,
territory of origin, religion, political or ideological convictions, education, economic situation, social
condition or sexual orientation".
In the
penalties foreseen, there are fines between 200 and four thousand euros,
depending on whether the use of the burqa is made by "negligence" or
"willful misconduct".
For those
who force the concealment of the face, Chega defends a punishment "under
the terms of article 154 of the Penal Code", that is, up to three years in
prison.
The bill
provides, however, for three exceptions to the prohibition: "whenever such
appearance is duly justified for health reasons or professional, artistic and
entertainment or advertising reasons"; "does not apply to airplanes
or in diplomatic and consular facilities, and faces may also be covered in
places of worship and other holy places"; and "for reasons related to
safety or due to weather conditions or whenever this is due to a legal
provision that allows it".
The
project was approved in detail and will now be discussed in the parliamentary
committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees. Then it
returns to the plenary for the final global vote and only after promulgation
will it enter into force.
In a
reaction on social networks, Chega writes that "women in Portugal should
be free" and that André Ventura's party "made it happen".
"Those who do not agree, can go back to their country that has no place
here!", it can be read.
"Today
is a historic day for our democracy and for the safeguarding of our values, our
identity and women's rights," wrote André Ventura.
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