The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, had announced earlier that EU leaders would be gathering on 23 September to debate the ongoing refugee crisis in the continent.
EU interior ministers met the previous day to go over the same issue.
The agenda of Portugal’s governing coalition, which is made up of the PSD and its junior partner, the right-wing People’s Party (PP), includes visits to Bragança and Vila Real, in the north of the country. These are now to be taken on by PP leader Paulo Portas. The election campaign officially began last Sunday.