The idea is simple and powerful: under certain constitutional rules, the Assembleia da República (Parliament) can — by a super-majority (two-thirds) — “confirm” a law or part of a law even if the Constitutional Court declares it unconstitutional. On paper, that gives the legislature a direct way to keep controversial measures alive.
But reality tells a different story: such overrides have been used only very rarely. And even when possible, doing so carries high political and ethical risk.
Portugal’s Nationality Law Reform: Super-Majority, Constitutional Review, and the Battle Ahead
Portugal’s sweeping nationality-law reform has stepped into a defining moment. Backed by a large parliamentary majority, the legislation is now under preventive review by the Constitutional Court (TC). The heart of the debate revolves around a rare constitutional mechanism that allows Parliament to “confirm” a law even after the Court labels it unconstitutional.
In the quiet corridors of Portuguese democracy, there is a mechanism that hums like a hidden engine — steady, powerful, waiting for the moment it’s needed. It is the preventive constitutional review, a tool that allows the Constitution itself to speak before a law becomes reality.
Many people imagine that only the President of the Republic holds this key. After all, he is the guardian who signs, vetoes, or questions a law before giving it life. But the Constitution, wise and forward-looking, spreads this power more broadly.
In a reform filled with new restrictions and longer waiting times, one change finally goes in favour of immigrants.
Portugal’s new Nationality Law 2025 introduces a simple but powerful promise:
Once you have been a Portuguese citizen for ten years, your nationality can never be revoked — as long as it was obtained in good faith.
The Nationality Law has been approved by Parliament — but it’s not law yet.
Before it reaches the Diário da República and takes effect, the reform must travel through the corridors of the Presidency and, possibly, the Constitutional Court.
Here’s a clear look at how many days each step can take, whether the law is approved, vetoed, or sent for constitutional review, and what that means for those waiting to apply for Portuguese citizenship.
Portugal’s recent overhaul of its Nationality Law is more than a legal tweak—it’s a political statement. But as much as it expands state control over who belongs, it arguably ventures into territory where constitutional rights, equality, and legal certainty may be at risk. In fact, several legal experts and media reports suggest the reform could be sent to the Constitutional Court for review.
Here are the key provisions likely to raise constitutional alarm bells — and which you should watch as the law moves toward promulgation.
When Portugal’s Parliament approved the Nationality Law reform on 28 October 2025, it did more than extend waiting periods — it rewrote the clock itself. The new law changes both when the countdown to citizenship begins and how time is measured.
For many long-term residents and immigrants waiting on AIMA’s endless queues, these two questions — from when does my residence count? and which rule applies to me? — are not academic. They decide whether one may apply this year or must wait several more.
Today, the Assembly of the Republic (Parliament) voted article by article — approving several of the proposed changes individually.
This stage is called the “votação na especialidade” — the specialty vote or article-by-article vote.
It’s where MPs debate and approve or amend each clause one by one.
So: some parts passed, some may have been changed, and some may still be contested.
Portugal is once again at a legislative crossroads. Following recent attempts to reform immigration and nationality laws, strong concerns have emerged about the government’s push to apply new rules retroactively.
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