Isabel Fernandes

The parliamentary terms used on this page, explained, with the official rule behind each one.

Chamber

The half-moon room where MPs meet. The Assembly of the Republic has 230 seats. Here each dot is an MP, and the groups run from left to right in the order of the political spectrum. Source: Electoral Law of the Assembly, art. 13.º; Constitution, art. 148.º

Legislature

The term of an elected Parliament: four legislative sessions (about four years), or less when the Assembly is dissolved and there is an early election. Each has a Roman numeral; the current one is the XVII. Source: Constitution, art. 171.º

Legislative session

One year of parliamentary work. It starts on 15 September. Source: Constitution, art. 174.º

Constituency

The area the MP was elected for. There are 22: the 18 mainland districts, the Azores, Madeira and two for Portuguese voters abroad (Europe and Outside Europe). Every MP represents the whole country, not only their constituency. Source: Electoral Law of the Assembly, art. 12.º; Constitution, art. 152.º, n.º 2

Parliamentary group

The MPs elected for the same party or coalition, who work together in Parliament. Source: Constitution, art. 180.º; Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 6.º

Plenary sitting

The meeting of all MPs in the chamber, where laws are debated and voted on. The Assembly publishes who attended and who was absent at each one, with the justification when there is one. Source: Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 56.º

Present at other parliamentary work

The MP was not in the chamber because they were doing other Assembly work, for example in a committee or a group meeting. It does not count as an absence. Source: Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 53.º

Parliamentary mission

The MP was representing the Assembly elsewhere, for example in a delegation abroad. The Assembly records it separately, as an absence on mission, not as a missed sitting. Source: Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 56.º, n.º 3

Justified absence

The MP was absent for a reason the law accepts: illness, marriage, maternity or paternity, bereavement, force majeure, parliamentary mission or work, or political or party work. The President of the Assembly decides whether the justification is accepted. Source: Statute of MPs, art. 8.º, n.º 2; Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 18.º, n.º 1, al. a)

Unjustified absence

The MP was absent without an accepted reason. Each one is deducted from the salary (1/20 for the first three, 1/10 after that), and missing four plenary sittings in a legislative session without a justified reason leads to the loss of the seat. Source: Statute of MPs, art. 23.º, n.º 1; Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 3.º, n.º 1, al. b)

Not yet classified

The Assembly recorded the absence with a code that does not say whether it is justified, for example «QV» (absent at the voting quorum) while the justification is pending. Veramundi does not count it as an unjustified absence. Source: Statute of MPs, art. 24.º; Veramundi, how we read the Assembly data

Absent at the voting quorum

When there are not enough MPs in the chamber to vote, the President of the Assembly calls them in and records who is missing. The Assembly marks it «QV» and, once justified, «QVJ». Source: Statute of MPs, art. 24.º

Assembly code

The abbreviation the Assembly puts on each record. PR: present. PNO: present at another body. ME and MP: parliamentary mission. FJ, QVJ and FAJ: justified absence. FI: unjustified absence. QV and FA: not yet classified. Source: Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 56.º; Veramundi, how we read the Assembly data

Debate with the prime minister

Every two weeks the prime minister comes to the plenary to answer MPs’ questions. The formats alternate: with an opening statement by the prime minister (point a, «general policy») or questions only (point b). Source: Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, art. 224.º-A

Replacement

When an MP leaves or suspends their seat (for example, to join the Government), the seat goes to the next candidate on the same list. That is why a legislature has more names than its 230 seats. Source: Electoral Law of the Assembly, art. 18.º; Statute of MPs, art. 4.º