Portugal's politicians outline summer vacation plans amid parliamentary recess

With the Portuguese Parliament on a summer break, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced he will forgo his own holiday and remain in charge of coordinating government activity. Defence Minister and CDS‑PP leader Nuno Melo said his vacation will depend on the fire‑risk season, but under normal conditions he expects to take his holiday in the second half of August in the north of the country.

President of the Assembly José Pedro Aguiar‑Branco plans to split his time between the Minho region and the Algarve, taking four books with him, including *A Dança dos Ossos* and *Factfulness*. PS secretary‑general José Luís Carneiro will spend the early days of August between an Algarve beach and his hometown of Porto/Baião, reading political titles such as *Hiper‑política* while also playing football and fishing with friends. IL president Mariana Leitão will take a week of leave with her two daughters, location unspecified. Livre co‑spokesperson Isabel Mendes Lopes intends to travel across Portugal and watch the 12 August solar eclipse, while her party partner Jorge Pinto will rest between “mountain and river”, reading works like *Autobiografia* and *O Susto*.