“I think conditions are in place for a dialogue regarding the nationality law, but we will wait to see how this dialogue can be established,” said José Luís Carneiro to journalists following a two-hour meeting with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro at the official residence of the executive head.
Carneiro, the PS leader who requested the meeting, emphasized that Portuguese-speaking countries, and those part of the community of Portuguese-speaking nations, should receive special consideration based on reciprocity principles, differentiating them from citizens from other world regions.
Regarding defense, which prompted Carneiro to write to Montenegro in early July, the Socialist indicated that the government is “positively receiving” the proposal on this issue.
“The government, through the Prime Minister and also the Minister of National Defense, will initiate a dialogue with parliamentary parties, particularly with the Socialist Party, to clarify how we will reach the 2% investment target and how future investments in defense will contribute to our country’s economic development, scientific advancement, and creation of qualified employment,” he added.
On the health sector, specifically concerning the proposal already sent to the Prime Minister about medical emergency coordination, Carneiro stated that it was communicated to him that “a team is already working” on this PS initiative “to ensure its progress.”
Carneiro also pledged to provide Luís Montenegro with a written document outlining the general proposals on housing, highlighting responses related to housing emergencies.
“There is a 2021 law governing temporary and emergency accommodation. It is important to reinforce this legal framework with funding to resolve emergency cases, such as those recently witnessed, particularly in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area,” he said.
The PS leader also suggested “solutions that allow for the placement of modular homes to address housing problems more structurally” and emphasized the importance of launching a controlled-cost housing program.
“As for other areas, we will wait until September to see how the government presents itself to the Assembly of the Republic with its proposals. It will be crucial, among other things, to assess the Constitutional Court’s decision regarding the immigration law,” he remarked.
Specifically about the immigration law, Carneiro highlighted that the President of the Republic’s move to send the document for preventative review by the Constitutional Court aligns fully with the PS position, pending the court’s decision.
