Portuguese Communist Party joins nationwide demonstrations for higher wages and affordable housing

The demonstrations took place in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, with additional mobilisations reported in Faro and Funchal. In Lisbon, demonstrators marched from Cais do Sodré to Rossio, bringing together workers, young people, pensioners and other participants. The CGTP-IN reported thousands of people taking part across the country.

PCP General Secretary Paulo Raimundo joined the party’s delegation at the Lisbon demonstration. The party backed demands for substantial increases in wages and pensions, stronger public health and education services, and improved social security. Participants also highlighted the rising cost of housing, fuel and essential goods.

Raimundo criticised the government’s proposed changes to rental legislation, arguing that they would favour property investors at the expense of tenants. The PCP called for greater public investment in housing and measures to improve access to affordable homes. These criticisms formed part of the party’s broader opposition to the government’s economic and social policies.

Housing activists also maintained encampments in Lisbon’s Rossio square and Porto’s Praça D. João I over the weekend. The Casa para Viver movement demanded action to make housing more affordable and address the country’s housing crisis.

The demonstrations formed part of a wider mobilisation over wages, public services and living costs. The PCP presented the protests as a call for a change in economic and social policy, while the CGTP-IN announced plans for a further demonstration on 24 November, coinciding with the scheduled final vote on the 2027 state budget.