Portugal government transparency reforms

In late July 2026 the Portuguese government introduced a draft law to overhaul the statutes of the Conselho das Finanças Públicas (CFP). The changes would require all senior CFP appointments to be examined in a parliamentary hearing, obtain a reasoned opinion from the relevant commission, and be sworn in before the President of the Republic. The proposal also calls for two non‑national members and tighter incompatibility rules, aiming to boost the council’s independence and align it with EU public‑finance governance standards.

A week later, the government announced a separate decree to implement the EU transparency‑in‑pay directive. The draft would ban salary‑secrecy clauses, raise penalties for violations, extend protection for retaliation claims, and strip repeat offenders of tax and financial incentives. At the same time, the administration faced objections from the Lusolav consortium over a rival high‑speed rail tender that allegedly exceeded the cost ceiling for the Coimbra segment, highlighting a broader push for stricter oversight in both public‑sector remuneration and major infrastructure procurement.