A note published on the Presidency of the Republic's website indicates that António José Seguro "returned to the Assembly of the Republic, without promulgation, the decree establishing rules for the use of flags on public buildings."

"The return was accompanied by the respective reasoned message, which will be released after its reading by parliament," the note also says.

The PSD, Chega and CDS-PP benches approved, on 17 April, in a final global vote, the decree intended to prohibit the hoisting of flags "of an ideological, partisan or associative nature" on public buildings.

About a month earlier, parliament debated bills from Chega and CDS-PP to prohibit the hoisting of flags of "ideological movements" on public buildings. Chega's bill was rejected, and CDS-PP's bill was sent back to the committee without a vote.

The substitute text from the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees was approved in plenary, in general, in detail and in the final overall vote, with votes in favour from PSD, Chega and CDS-PP, against from PS, PAN, Livre, BE and PCP and abstention from IL.

The bill prohibited the "display, placement or hoisting" on public buildings of flags "of an ideological, partisan or associative nature, regardless of their legal nature" and also of insignia of "foreign origin, except in the context of official acts of a diplomatic or protocol nature".

In these buildings, only the national flag, the European Union flag, and “institutional and heraldic flags, namely those of State entities, autonomous regions, local authorities, public services and entities, the Armed Forces, security forces and their respective units” would be permitted.

Flags that historically preceded these could also be hoisted, “provided that they are in the context of their respective historical commemoration,” as well as flags “associated with institutional, educational or official recognition programs promoted by public entities.”

The new law, now reinstated, covered “all buildings, monuments, facilities, flagpoles, facades and interiors for official use, belonging to or assigned to sovereign bodies, services of the direct and indirect administration of the State, autonomous regions, local authorities and other public entities.”

The decree specified that this legislation did not apply to private spaces, even those open to the public, to cultural, sporting, or associative events that "do not involve official representation of the State," nor to diplomatic ceremonies "governed by international protocol."