The Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, and the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), José Luís Carneiro, held a meeting on Wednesday, marking their second encounter in two months. The discussions covered a range of topics, from housing to health, including the current Constitutional Court review of the immigration law.
Following the meeting, the Socialist leader emphasized that if the government wishes to engage in dialogue with the PS, “it must do so with the PS.”
Addressing journalists present, he further stressed that the “PS is not just any party” and highlighted that “respect for the foundational values of this country dictates that dialogue should be constructive and put things in their proper place.”
The Socialist Secretary-General, José Luís Carneiro, conveyed to the Prime Minister today that if there is a desire for dialogue with the PS, it must take place with this party, suggesting September as a time to continue this “very constructive conversation.”
What was discussed?
After the meeting, Carneiro assured that it was established with the Prime Minister that the dialogue between the government and the socialists “will continue in the future,” while noting that there are matters “for consensus and others for dissension.”
Excluding the State Budget from the topics addressed, Carneiro and Montenegro discussed a prominent issue, the immigration law. Carneiro pointed out that the position of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who sent the bill for preventive Constitutional Court review, is “entirely consistent with the position taken by the PS.”
Once the Constitutional Court’s decision on this matter is known, the PS will “consider” it, and in other areas, they will “wait until September to see how the government presents its proposals to the Assembly of the Republic.”
Regarding the nationality law, Carneiro expressed hope that there would be “conditions for dialogue” on the topic, but the PS will wait to understand the terms of potential openness for such discussions.
On the topic of defense, which led Carneiro to send a letter to Montenegro earlier in July, he indicated that the proposal in this sector “is being well received by the government.”
Concerning health, specifically the proposal already submitted to the head of government regarding the coordination of medical emergencies, Carneiro stated that he was informed that “there is already a team working” on the PS idea “to ensure its continuity.”
José Luís Carneiro also committed to providing Luís Montenegro with written outlines of proposals on housing, highlighting responses related to the housing emergency.
“There is a 2021 law regulating temporary and emergency housing. It is vital to strengthen this normative structure with funding to address emergencies, like those recently witnessed, especially in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area,” he noted.
The leader also highlighted “solutions for deploying modular housing to address more structurally” housing issues and emphasized the need to launch a program for controlled-cost housing.
