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Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Lisbon speaking to the nation on November 4, 2021
Photo: CARLOS COSTA / AFP
After the failure of the left-wing minority government's draft budget, Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called new elections.
The early vote will take place on January 30, 2022, Rebelo said in a speech to the nation late Thursday evening in Lisbon.
To this end, the parliament should be dissolved soon, said the head of state, who in Portugal is directly elected by the people and has a relatively high level of power.
The next regular parliamentary election should have taken place in autumn 2023.
Prime Minister António Costa's spending plan for 2022 failed last Wednesday in parliament, the Assembleia da República.
Only the 108 MPs of the Socialist Party (PS) Costas voted in favor.
There were 117 votes against.
The PS, which has been in power since 2015 and is oriented towards social democracy, had so far received the support of parties further to the left. The Marxist left bloc (BE), the communists (PCP) and the Greens (PEV) refrained from doing so this time and voted against the government's budget plans together with the conservative opposition. With a view to the billions in Corona aid from the EU, the left-wing parties had called for more social spending, among other things. But Costa did not want to give up his restrained spending policy.
Before making his decision, Rebelo had held a number of consultations since Friday.
The 72-year-old president first spoke with representatives of trade unions and employers' associations and with the heads of the parties represented in parliament, and finally consulted with the State Council on Wednesday.
The so-called "Conselho de Estado" is a body that has been in existence since 1845 and advises the President.
It includes current and former elected officials as well as other personalities from various political orientations.
The defeat was looming.
Prime Minister Costa had ruled out a resignation.
He has already announced that he wants to lead his camp into the election campaign in the early election.
jso / dpa / AFP