Legislative initiative · public agenda
Citizen initiative
The constitutional proposal provides that citizen initiative will allow proposals to be brought to the National Assembly when the mechanism is available and the legal threshold of valid subscriptions is met. Meeting the threshold guarantees consideration, not automatic approval on the merits.
Pre-Foundation · constitutional order not yet promulgatedThe mechanism still depends on constitutional activation and implementation.Project constitutional proposal · Portuguese reference text
In brief
Citizen initiative was designed as a guarantee of access to the public agenda: when active, it will require the system to receive and deliberate on the proposal without confusing participation with a legislative decision.
How the Constitution structures this subject
Constitutional maximum of 2%
The organic law sets the required subscriptions at no more than 2% of the national electorate and may choose a lower number.
Accessible and proportionate
Identity and verification requirements may not make the initiative impracticable through unnecessary technological requirements.
Duty to process
Once the threshold is reached, the proposal must receive processing, a hearing or opinion where appropriate, and a roll-call vote within a reasonable time.
No automatic approval
The mechanism guarantees agenda access and deliberation; the National Assembly retains responsibility for the legislative vote.
How it works
Present the text and justification in an understandable format.
Use a verifiable and accessible mechanism through Candeia OS in the competent Sistema Candeia module.
Check support without political discrimination or excessive data collection.
Forward it to the National Assembly under the applicable legal procedure.
Limits and safeguards
- Support for an initiative is not the same as an electoral vote.
- A technical requirement may not operate as a political or socioeconomic filter.
- GOV does not collect actual subscriptions or declare the threshold met without official data from the competent source.