According to a draft resolution submitted to parliament and to be presented on 5 May by the two parties, the "Defender Portugal" program would last three to six weeks – part of which would be completed in a boarding school setting – and would be aimed at young Portuguese people between 18 and 23 years old.

The program, according to the document (a recommendation without the force of law), aims at "the civic, physical and military training of young citizens and the strengthening of the connection between civil society and National Defence".

In return, young volunteers who complete the program are entitled to “a one-time payment of €439.21” (corresponding to 50% of the amount paid during the basic training period to the first pay grade of the Armed Forces) and the “possibility of obtaining a free driver's license at authorised military establishments”.

Validity in access to the Armed Forces

On the other hand, this program would also be valued in the entrance exams for the Armed Forces, security forces and services, police bodies and professional firefighters.

PSD and CDS-PP also recommend that the Government promote, within the scope of the Citizenship and Development subject, “the teaching of the domain of National Defence, including preparatory content of the program, to be developed by the National Defence Institute in collaboration with the branches of the Armed Forces and the competent Ministries”.

Mental health in the Armed Forces

The two parties that support the Government submitted another recommendation suggesting to the executive the approval of a “single, standardized and universal” National Mental Health Plan for the Armed Forces – which they called “Strong Mind” – that reinforces prevention programs for all members of the Armed Forces and their families, in coordination with the National Health Service and the Institute of Social Action of the Armed Forces and the existing partner network of mental health care.

PSD and CDS-PP also request the publication of an Annual Mental Health Report for the Armed Forces, by branch, “that can allow quantifying the progress achieved in this area”.

In the explanatory memorandum of the bills, the deputies of the two parties consider that international uncertainty "imposes on Portugal an urgent and uncomplicated reflection on its National Defence model" and emphasise that "the actual strength of the Armed Forces is around 24,500 personnel, approaching the equivalent of 0.21% of the resident population."

"While it is true that professionalisation has brought specialisation, it has also created a gap that needs to be filled, not through anachronistic impositions, but through new attraction mechanisms that value citizenship and merit," they stated, justifying the proposal to create the new volunteer program.

A pact of trust between generations

"The 'Defend Portugal' Program thus represents a pact of trust between generations. It is not about militarising society, but rather allowing young people from all social backgrounds to serve their country because they choose to do so," they argue.

Parliamentary groups from the PS and Chega parties have already presented resolutions proposing new ways to bring young people closer to the Armed Forces, studying the current model of National Defence Day.

Changing National Defence Day

Chega recommends to the Government that National Defence Day be designated as National Defence Week, lasting at least five working days, and that the "military inspection" of those summoned be allowed. In contrast, the PS group recommends that the executive branch evaluate the current format of this day and study new models of voluntary recruitment for the Armed Forces.

In early April, the deputies agreed at a Defence Committee meeting to await the initiatives of the PSD/CDS-PP so that all projects can be debated together before being voted on in plenary.