The proposal, which aims to extend the current four-month fully paid leave to six months and increase the five-month leave at 80% pay to seven months, is still under parliamentary review.
Though the proposal has received preliminary approval, it must undergo further discussions by the Labour and Pensions Committee. Due to ongoing debates over the State Budget, it is expected that the proposal will not pass this year.
The ruling parties, PSD and CDS-PP, have voted against the measure, suggesting it should be addressed through social consultation. Opposition parties, on the other hand, have emphasized the importance of supporting parents and encouraging higher birth rates.
Maria João Valente Rosa, a demographer and professor at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, commented on the proposal, saying, “This measure is very important for helping parents be present in the early stages of their child’s life, though I wouldn’t say it directly promotes higher birth rates.”
She explained that immediate increases in birth rates are unlikely, pointing to a 60% drop in births over the last six decades—from 217,000 in 1964 to just 85,000 in 2023.
