Civic participation: petitions, demonstrations, councils and participatory projects

Parish and municipal councils are meetings where elected representatives gather to discuss and vote on matters affecting the local community, such as budgets, plans, regulations and projects of local interest. 

Participating in councils is one form of civic participation. Citizens have the right to attend municipal and parish council meetings. These sessions include space for public participation, allowing each person to submit questions or suggestions.

When are council meetings held?

Parish councils

These take place at least 4 times a year, usually in April, June, September and in November or December.

Municipal councils

These take place at least 5 times a year, usually in February, April, June, September and in November or December.

How to participate in parish or municipal councils

Attend the meetings
Any citizen can attend the meetings by simply turning up at the scheduled day and time.

Participate actively
At the specific public participation times, you can ask questions, make suggestions or ask for clarifications on relevant topics.

The Assembly of the Portuguese Republic is Portugal’s national parliament and the country’s main legislative body, and consists of elected representatives. Plenary sessions and parliamentary committee meetings take place throughout the year to discuss and vote on bills, budgets and other issues of national interest.

Find out more or view the parliament’s agenda

What types of sessions can you attend?

You can attend plenary sessions and meetings of parliamentary committees

1. Go to one of the entrances to the São Bento Palace, the seat of Portugal’s parliament.
2. State the session or meeting you wish to attend. There are a limited number of attendee seats.
3. Show an identity document (Citizen’s Card or passport, for example) at the security check.

In the plenary sessions of Portugal’s parliament, laws are debated and voted on. During meetings of the parliamentary committees, such as the Budget and Finance Committee, the Health Committee or the Education and Science Committee, more specific issues are discussed before voting. 

You can contribute to the parliament’s sessions by submitting petitions
Direct involvement in debates is reserved for members of parliament, but citizens can participate indirectly through petitions. A petition may be discussed in a parliamentary committee or even in plenary.

If you prefer, you can watch the sessions on TV on ARTV – the Parliament Channel
Plenary sessions are broadcast live. Some committee meetings are recorded and broadcast later.

A public petition is a formal request addressed to a sovereign body. If it is valid, it may be discussed and, in some cases, may lead to a response or action. 

It is made in writing and takes citizens’ concerns directly to parliament. It can be submitted to the following sovereign bodies:

• The President of the Republic
• The Assembly of the Portuguese Republic (parliament)
• The government (ministries and cabinet).

Petitions cannot be submitted to courts.

What topics can the petitions cover?

You can submit petitions on any matter of general interest that falls within the responsibility of parliament.
This means that petitions may deal with topics of interest to society, such as creating or amending laws, and monitoring things the government does.

Who can submit a petition?

A petition can be submitted by:

• Portuguese citizens
• Foreign nationals or persons with no nationality (stateless persons)
• Legal entities (such as companies, associations, cooperatives)
• Civic movements (organised groups of people acting to bring about social, political or religious change)

How to create a public petition

To create a public petition, you must:

1. Prepare the petition
   • Write a clear and concise text identifying the topic, the solution you are proposing, and the recipients of the petition.
   • Identify the authors (those who create it) and the signatories (those who sign it). Authors must include names, contact details, identity document numbers and addresses. Signatories must include their name and identity document number.
   • Confirm whether the petition is addressed to the competent authority to handle the matter.

2. Collect signatures

Signatures can be collected in person or through recognised online platforms, such as the Petitions Portal and the Portuguese Parliament Platform.

3. Submit the petition

You can submit the petition:

• Through the platform

Parliament Participation Platform

• By email

peticoes@ar.parlamento.pt

• By post

Assembleia da República, Palácio de São Bento, 1249-068 Lisbon

• In person

At the Portuguese Parliament (on working days, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.).

In a meeting with the Vice-President of the Portuguese Parliament (only for petitions with at least 7,501 signatures, which require a plenary debate — an application must be submitted to the President of the Parliament).

After submitting the petition, it will be validated and reviewed
The petition is reviewed according to the number of signatures. For example:

1. Petitions with more than 1,000 signatures are reviewed in committee (where more specific issues are discussed before being voted on).
2. Petitions with more than 7,500 signatures are reviewed in plenary (where laws are discussed and voted on).

You will always be informed of the decision on your petition, usually by post to the address provided, or by email if one has been given.
Based on the petitions it receives, Parliament may:

• Discuss the proposals
• Adopt laws or measures suggested in the petition
• Recommend actions to the Government or other entities
• Forward the petition to another competent authority

Participatory Budgeting allows citizens to propose and decide where to invest part of the public budget, while other participatory projects cover various areas (such as the environment, education or urban planning) and invite people to actively take part in shaping policies and solutions. 

In Portugal, these initiatives can be submitted and consulted on the Participa.gov portal — which brings together participatory processes from different public entities — and on the Participa.pt portal, which focuses on environmental topics.

How to create or vote in a participatory project

You can only create or vote in a participatory project via the Participa.gov portal. 

The Participa.gov portal is a platform for public administration participatory processes in various areas.

On this platform, you can: 

• Submit project proposals 
• Vote on the projects available on the platform.

How to participate in an environmental project

You can participate in a project focused on environmental topics through the Participa.pt portal.

On this platform, you can: 

• Register to be able to participate
• Take part in various projects
• Follow projects and their different stages

How to create or vote in a participatory budget 

To find out how to take part in a participatory budget, please check your local council’s website. Not all municipalities have participatory budgets, and applications may not be open every year.

Some municipalities publish their participatory budgets on the Participa.gov portal.

Citizens have the right to gather and demonstrate peacefully in public spaces without needing authorisation, but they must notify the competent authorities, such as the GNR or PSP, in advance. This is a fundamental right guaranteed by law.

What do you need to organise a demonstration?

To organise a demonstration or protest in Portugal, you need to:

Draft the notice
The notice informing the authorities about the demonstration must specify the time, location and purpose of the gathering, and it must be signed. If it’s a demonstration with a parade, you must also include the route.

Sign the demonstration notice
The notice must be signed by at least three people organising the demonstration and must include their name, profession and address. If an association is organising the demonstration, it must be signed by the board or the legal representative of the association.

Submit the notice
The organisers must notify the municipal council, PSP or GNR in the area where the demonstration will take place, at least two working days in advance. Once the notice is received, the city council will issue a confirmation.

How to write the demonstration notice

You should write a simple notice identifying the organisers (undersigned) and the authority or person to whom the notice is addressed. You should also include the demonstration details. For example:

Dear Mayor of [municipality name]

We, the undersigned:

• Full Name 1 – [Address] – [Profession]
• Full Name 2 – [Address] – [Profession]
• Full Name 3 – [Address] – [Profession]

Hereby notify that we are holding a demonstration for [purpose of the demonstration]. The demonstration will begin at [starting point], at [time], on [date].

The planned route is:

• [Describe the route, if applicable]

We expect the final gathering to take place at [end point], between [start time] and [end time].

We commit to:

• Respecting safety regulations
• Minimising any impact on traffic and daily life

We remain available to provide any additional information or clarifications that may be required.

Sincerely,

[Signatures of the organisers]

What happens if the demonstration does not meet the legal requirements?

Organisers and participants may be dispersed and held liable for illegal demonstrations.
If the demonstration is not communicated to the authorities or does not comply with the legal rules:

• The police may intervene to maintain public order
• Organisers and participants may be held responsible for any damage or offences committed
• Penalties provided for by law may be applied