Portugal's president to dissolve parliament; snap election looms

FILE PHOTO: Re-elected Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa addresses journalists after the announcement of electoral results in Lisbon, Portugal, January 24, 2021. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo

LISBON (Reuters) -Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's consultative body, the Council of State, approved on Wednesday his proposal to dissolve parliament after lawmakers rejected the government's 2022 budget bill last week, paving the way for an election.

A statement from the president's office said only that a majority of Council members had approved the dissolution of parliament, but it did not say when a snap election could take place.