Portugal’s parliament has scheduled debate and an initial vote on the 2027 budget for Oct. 27-28, as housing demonstrators call for another gathering after police cleared a camp in Lisbon.
France 24 reported Oct. 21 that demonstrators were calling for a new gathering. Before the clearance, participants in the Lisbon camp approved a protest outside parliament on Oct. 27, Observador reported.
Reuters reported on the Oct. 20 clearance of the Lisbon camp. The Public Security Police (PSP) said it detained 55 people there. In Porto, protesters took down their own tents after police instructed them to do so.
Eurostat data show Portuguese house prices rose 16.5% in the second quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, compared with a 4.7% increase across the European Union.
Demonstrators say the government’s proposed rental changes would make evictions easier. The government says easing restrictions on new leases could encourage property owners to put more homes on the rental market.
The European Commission’s 2026 Portugal country report identifies demand from tourism and short-term rentals, along with underused vacant homes, as sources of housing pressure. It also cites construction labor shortages, rising costs and weak investment.
Parliament has scheduled a final vote on the 2027 budget for Nov. 24.
