Portugal: Parliament Votes in Favor of a Bill to Ban Burkas in Public Spaces

The Portuguese Parliament has passed a bill, proposed by the conservative Chega party that would ban burkas in public spaces, with  some exceptions. The below article from Correio da Manhã is translated by Fousesquawk.

Parliament approves ban on burka in public spaces in Portual.

The bill bans “clothes designed to hide the face”. Chega made the proposal and the right approved.

October 17, 2025 at 12:41

The Parliament approved the ban on burkas in public spaces in Portugal. Chega had the support of the PSD, Liberal Initiative, and the CDS. The PS, Livre, PCP and Left Bloc voted against. PAN and JPP abstained.

With this bill, Chega proposes that it be “banned to use clothing designed to hide or block the showing of the face” in public speace, with some exceptions. At the opening of the debate, the leader of Chega specified that that objective is to ban women from wearing the burka in Portugal, and addressed immigrants in particular. The bill will now be discussed by the Parliamentary Commission on Constitutional Issues, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees.

“It is forbidden to force someone to hide their face for motives of gender or religion”. The proposed penaties are fines that range from 200 to 4,000 euros. 

The bill also states that “the ban does not apply to airplanes or in diplomatic and consular facilities, and that faces can also be covered in religious places and other sacred locations, or for reasons of health.

Andre Ventura stated that a woman “forced to wear the burka is no longer free and independent, (but) becomes an object,” and accused the left of hypocrisy for defending women’s rights, but accepting a “culture that oppresses them”.

The president of Chega pointed out that “various European countries are already moving toward banning burkas in public spaces,” and pointed out that the European Court of Human Rights had decided that the French law in this respect was not contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights. 

At the conclusion of the debate, Madalena Cordeiro, also from Chega, stated from the podium that, “This is not Bangladesh, where you can do whatever you want”. The deputy stated further, “Enough pretending that all cultures are equal”. 

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Source: http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2025/10/portugal-parliament-votes-in-favor-of.html