The daily life, invisible work and conditions of the nation’s MPs

Original text from Notícias Magazine (Jornal de Notícias)

Seats in a parliamentary chamber

On 11 June 2025, Notícias Magazine, published by Jornal de Notícias, ran a feature on the work of members of the Assembly of the Republic at the start of the 17th Legislature, which goes far beyond speeches in the plenary: committees, working groups, drafting reports and contact with voters.

The feature also addresses MPs’ pay. Patrícia Calca, a lecturer and researcher at Iscte who studies how political institutions work, describes the narrative that politicians earn a lot and work little as populist, and argues that salaries should reflect the responsibility of the decisions they take.

For the researcher, unattractive conditions shrink the pool of available candidates and may drive the most qualified profiles away from politics, to the detriment of the quality of representation.

Read the full feature in Jornal de Notícias.