Thousands of protesters returned to Lisbon’s main squares on Saturday to pressure Portugal’s government to scrap the rental bill amid a housing and affordability crisis in the country.
The country’s controversial residential rental reform bill passed its first parliamentary reading on September 30, 2026, and is currently undergoing committee review amid major public opposition.
Rita Silva, a spokesperson for housing movement Casa para Viver, said that “people are showing enormous perseverance, strength and determination” after weeks of protests over the housing crisis and other related issues.
She noted that the protests would continue because the government had not shown any willingness to listen to demonstrators.
The development came amid soaring housing costs across European countries, including France, Germany, Spain and others.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s Interior Minister, Luis Neves, noted that the government respected the legitimacy of the protests, adding that the demonstrations should be held “with order, civility” and “in compliance with the law.”
On Thursday, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro insisted that the bill would not be scrapped.
Mr Montenegro, however, noted that he was open to amending it ahead of a final vote in the coming weeks, adding that parties “have to move closer” while making clear that “the main line of action is the government’s programme”.
