Portugal president calls March snap election, leaves time to pass budget

FILE PHOTO: A man looks at the newspaper's front pages the day after Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced his resignation due to the ongoing investigation on the alleged corruption in multi-billion dollar lithium, green hydrogen and data centre deals, in Lisbon, Portugal, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal will hold a snap parliamentary election on March 10, its second in as many years, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Thursday, following Tuesday's abrupt resignation of the Socialist prime minister amid a corruption investigation.

Yet, the president said he would only disband parliament, where the Socialist Party (PS) has a majority of seats, after the final vote on the 2024 budget bill, due on Nov. 29. The house approved the bill on first reading on Oct. 31.