The president of Portugal, António José Seguro, has given his final approval this Wednesday to the rule that prevents hiding the face in public spaces and that, in practice, implies the prohibition of the use of the burka and the niqab in the public streets of the country. This is a legislative initiative promoted by the far-right party Chega and supported by the conservative coalition.
The approval of this law has fueled an intense political and social controversy in recent months, with opposing positions between those who justify it in the name of security, integration, and the defense of women's rights, and those who warn that it may violate individual freedom and religious freedom.
The head of state has emphasized that it is "a matter of great social and cultural sensitivity, where it is extremely difficult to define limits and assess rights and duties in a balanced way," as reported by the "Diário de Notícias".
"Taking into account these premises, as well as the content of the decree after the legislative modifications introduced, the president of the Republic decided to promulgate it," the Presidency has indicated in an official note.
"Social integration, non-discrimination on the basis of gender, and the security derived from the decisions issued in this same sense by the European Court of Human Rights support this decision," the president added, who also emphasized that the face is "fundamental for human identity and communication."
In July, the Portuguese Parliament finally gave its 'green light' to the text after the proposal was approved in committee in October 2025, although the process was blocked for months due to differences between Chega and the center-right Social Democratic Party. The latter mainly emphasized the security arguments related to the fact of hiding the face in public spaces, rather than the religious component.