Portuguese President António José Seguro on Wednesday vetoed a draft law that aims to prohibit the display of flags “of an ideological, partisan or associative nature” on public buildings.
The center-left head of state did not immediately disclose the reasoning behind his decision to veto the legislative proposal, which was approved in April by the center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD), the far-right Chega party and the conservative CDS-PP. In a statement, the Portuguese Presidency said his explanation had been relayed to the country’s parliament, which would be tasked with sharing it with the wider public.
The bill would have prohibited the display of ideological, partisan or associative flags on public buildings, while also restricting the use of most foreign flags outside official diplomatic events. Only Portugal’s national flag, the European Union flag and official institutional flags belonging to state bodies, local authorities, the armed forces and security services could be displayed on public property.
The restrictions would apply to public buildings, monuments, installations, facades, interiors and other spaces used by state institutions and local authorities.
The draft legislation created confusion even before it reached the president’s desk. Last month, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas argued he could not fly the LGBT flag at City Hall because the new rules would prohibit it — despite the fact that the legislation had not yet entered into force.
The bill now returns to Parliament, which can either amend the text or reaffirm it by an absolute majority, which would oblige Seguro to sign it into law.