Portuguese Police Stage Silent Parliament Sit-In Over Pay, Warn of Holiday Patrol Cuts

It was a crisp Lisbon morning when commuters passing the Assembleia da República in São Bento realised something unusual was unfolding. Dozens of uniformed officers stood shoulder-to-shoulder along the railings—not to block traffic but to remind lawmakers that the people who patrol Portugal’s streets want the same recognition the nation grants them. Their quiet presence spoke volumes: the State Budget for 2025 sets aside more money for internal security than ever, yet many in blue and green insist they are still being left behind.

The day Parliament felt the weight of the uniform

For roughly three hours, members of the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP) and the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) observed the opening round of the Orçamento do Estado debate from the public gallery. They wore no party colours, carried no megaphones and unfurled no banners—only the new pay scales each had printed on A4 paper. “We came to be seen without disturbing the work of the deputies,” one officer told reporters, stressing that the protest was “symbolic but urgent.” The Independent Police Officers’ Union (SIAP), the National Sergeants’ Association (ANSG) and ASPIG choreographed the sit-in after months of stalled negotiations. Their message: the €3.16 billion earmarked for internal security in 2025 does not translate into real pay equity.

Why the pay gap keeps resurfacing

According to SIAP’s comparison of Interior Ministry pay tables, a starting inspector at the Polícia Judiciária can earn a little over €4,000 a month once mission supplements and night-shift bonuses are included. By contrast, a rookie PSP or GNR constable takes home about €1,985—including the fixed risk bonus approved last year. Officers argue the discrepancy is more than a matter of pride. “If you can earn twice as much investigating crime behind a desk, who will sign up to patrol Bairro Alto at 3 a.m.?” asked a PSP negotiator. Recruit classes have indeed been shrinking: applications for the latest academy intake fell 17 per cent compared with 2023, Interior Ministry data show.

Budget lines versus lived reality

Finance officials point to a planned 11.3 per cent jump in security spending next year, most of it payroll. A two-year ladder will raise the fixed risk supplement from €100 to €400, and the government promises an average salary rise of 20 per cent between 2022 and 2025. Unions counter that only €50 of that supplement arrives in 2025, leaving the biggest bite for the following electoral cycle. Meanwhile, some field commanders still receive a mere €90 function bonus—“less than a parking ticket in downtown Porto,” protesters quipped. The gap between budget promises and payslips, they say, is corroding morale faster than any statistic can capture.

Political cross-fire inside the hemicycle

The government benches repeated that they are “committed to dialogue,” yet opposition parties quickly seized the optics. Chega leader André Ventura congratulated the officers for “showing courage where ministers show spreadsheets,” while Bloco de Esquerda branded the budget “opaque” and backed the pay demands. The ruling PS, which abstained and thus allowed the draft budget to advance, urged patience, saying the new majority needs “one fiscal year” to translate intentions into law. Behind closed doors, Interior Minister José Luís Carneiro is said to be weighing a separate career-valuation decree that could be unveiled before Christmas—a timeline unions openly doubt.

Security implications that hit home

For residents, the standoff is not an abstract line item. Longer response times, fewer patrols in rural parishes and rising overtime backlogs have already surfaced in parliamentary reports. Tourism lobby groups warn that understaffed police units during festival season could “erase the gains” Portugal has made by being perceived as one of Europe’s safest countries. Mayors in border districts fear GNR posts might struggle to maintain 24-hour coverage if resignations accelerate. In short, the pay conversation ripples far beyond the force itself.

What next in the pay chess match?

The Interior Ministry has until 28 November to table a concrete salary proposal or face a fresh wave of demonstrations, possibly including an unprecedented joint march of all police branches. Protest leaders say they do not seek parity with the PJ overnight but want a roadmap that treats the risk supplement like the PJ’s mission allowance—automatic, not renegotiated every term. Should talks break down, unions hint at work-to-rule actions that could coincide with the holiday travel rush, putting extra pressure on the government just as streets and airports fill up.

For now, the picture is of men and women who secure everything from football derbies to village fairs reminding legislators that public safety begins with personal dignity. Their silent vigil at São Bento lasted only one morning, but its echo inside the budget debate is unlikely to fade until Portugal decides how much a badge is really worth.