na generalidade
Published 6 November 2026, 09:07
votação na generalidade (vote in principle, first reading)
The first vote on a bill: parliament decides whether the idea as a whole is acceptable. The text then goes to a committee and is voted on article by article (na especialidade), and at the end comes the final vote (votação final global). Passing at first reading does not make it law.
Where you come across it. News that parliament has debated or approved a bill, and the question of whether anything has actually changed yet.
After the first reading the text can still be amended in committee, and the terms may change before the final vote. Until the final vote has been passed and the text published, the old rules apply.
Official website: parlamento.pt