The electoral campaign for the local elections on October 12 begins this Tuesday, September 30, but the topic dominating the day is the agreement between PSD and Chega, which will lead to the approval of the Foreigners’ Law in the Assembleia da República (AR), where it is being voted on today by the parliamentary parties.
Speaking to journalists from Cascais, where he is campaigning, Prime Minister and PSD leader Luís Montenegro emphasized that it is still uncertain whether the law “will pass or not,” but he expressed a “very positive expectation” regarding the vote’s outcome.
“Our party’s guidance to our parliamentary groups has been to open political dialogue with all benches, particularly with those willing to facilitate this amendment, which, as I have reiterated, aims to regulate migration flows to provide people with viable, happy, dignified, and humane life projects,” he remarked, declining to confirm if PSD and Chega reached an understanding on the topic early this morning.
“What I can confirm is that there have been conversations with the political parties in Parliament. It is a matter being handled at the level of parliamentary groups, and my expectation is that various parliamentary groups may come to endorse the amendments, considering both the position of the President of the Republic and the pronouncement of the Constitutional Court,” he highlighted.
When asked whether the agreement, confirmed by Chega, involves a future discussion on how immigrants access social benefits, as desired by the party led by André Ventura, Montenegro also chose not to answer.
“What we want are benefits for the people, for the Portuguese and the immigrants who seek us out to have dignified living conditions,” he said.
It is noted that PSD and Chega reportedly reached an agreement overnight to approve the Foreigners’ Law, which will be put to vote in the Assembleia da República this Tuesday.
