Rui Rocha, a Portuguese politician, chose to participate in prime-time television programs instead of being present in Parliament to vote on motions. The decision generated comments about the shift from traditional political debates to the television setting.
The article suggests that in Portugal serious political debate no longer takes place in the plenary of the Assembly of the Republic and has moved to television studios, particularly during "primetime". This trend calls into question the role of Parliament as the central space for political discussion.
The exchange of the plenary for studios raises questions about the functioning of representative democracy and about politicians' prioritization between media visibility and actual parliamentary work.
