The President of the Republic today promulgated the decrees amending the statutes of professional associations that were confirmed last week by the Assembly of the Republic, after having been vetoed in December by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
On Friday, the PS reconfirmed in Parliament the diplomas relating to the amendment of the statutes of the orders of engineers, architects, doctors, nurses, lawyers and solicitors and enforcement agents.
In a note published today on the Presidency’s website, the Head of State recalled that he is “obliged to promulgate legislation that he has vetoed and which has been confirmed by the Assembly of the Republic, by an absolute majority”.
“He does so, however, with twofold comfort: firstly, the certainty that the issue will return to parliamentary work very soon, as unanimously promised in Parliament; secondly, the fact that the significant sums received from Brussels at the end of last year may have served to encourage the realization of the priority of reducing public debt,” the same note reads.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa promulgated the decrees on the amendment of the Statute of the Order of Doctors, the Statute of the Order of Solicitors and Enforcement Agents and Law no. 77/2013, of November 21, the Statute of the Order of Engineers, the Statute of the Order of Lawyers, the Statute of the Order of Nurses and the Statute of the Order of Architects.
He also promulgated the decree on the legal regime of the acts of Lawyers and Solicitors, according to the note from the Presidency.
Friday’s vote in Parliament took place after the bills were reconsidered on Wednesday in Parliament.
The majority of PS MPs thus reconfirmed the diplomas, while PSD, Chega and PCP voted against. The Liberal Initiative and the Left Bloc abstained. The PAN voted against all except for the Bar Association, which chose to abstain.
On October 13, the decrees, which are part of a set of changes to the statutes of professional associations, had already been approved by the Socialist majority.