On January 17, 2025, the Portuguese Parliament approved a significant measure to separate 135 freguesias that had been merged in 2013 under the controversial Lei Relvas, effectively restoring the administrative status of 303 localities.

This reform comes in response to the previous reduction of parishes from 4,260 to 3,092 due to the 'troika' intervention, which had led to substantial changes in local governance.

The proposal includes the establishment of Installation Commissions for new parishes and Extinction Commissions for current unions, ensuring that existing executives remain in place until the next municipal elections.

Joana Mortágua of the Bloco de Esquerda criticized the 2013 reform as harmful, asserting that it negatively impacted public services, while expressing satisfaction with the current disaggregation as a restoration of democratic rights.

If approved, the new administrative structure will be put to a vote in the upcoming local elections scheduled for Autumn 2025.

Over 30 disaggregation requests were rejected because they were submitted after the deadline, prompting the formation of a new working group to analyze these requests under the general regime.

The bill received support from several political parties including PSD, PS, Bloco, PCP, Livre, PAN, and CDS-PP, while the Chega party abstained from the vote.

Political parties were given until January 8, 2025, to submit proposals for the disaggregation of parishes formed in 2013, with a final vote scheduled for January 19, 2025, to implement a new administrative map ahead of local elections.

Deputy Jorge Botelho from PS emphasized the need to correct the centralization of the 2013 reforms, which were made without community input, describing the current measure as a step towards respecting citizens' identities.

While the PCP supported the reform, they expressed disappointment that their proposal to include an additional 56 freguesias was not accepted.

The debate was marked by accusations of 'despesismo' (wastefulness) and criticisms regarding the technical aspects of the disaggregation process.

Members from various parties re-evaluated previously rejected disaggregation cases, adding nine more to the final approval list based on updated documentation confirming compliance with disaggregation criteria.