“It seems to me that there is some levity in the way the Government presented a matter of sovereignty of utmost importance,” stated José Luís Carneiro today, speaking to journalists in Coimbra before starting a session to present his candidacy to the district militants.
The sole candidate for the leadership of the PS noted that there might be “some unconstitutionality in some of the proposals” approved today in the Council of Ministers, further reminding that these proposals challenge a “historic consensus” between PS, PSD, and CDS-PP “regarding the nationality law.”
According to José Luís Carneiro, the Government ends up mixing “matters that should not be mixed,” criticizing the executive led by Luís Montenegro for blending nationality with immigration and internal security “all in the same communication.”
When asked if he believes the Government is yielding to the far-right agenda, the candidate for PS secretary-general stated he prefers to wait until the proposals appear in the Assembly of the Republic for a better analysis of the measures but considered that the issues at hand should be dealt with “with the consideration and institutional maturity they demand.”
“We cannot be lightweight just to try to please some sectors that are more uneasy about these matters,” he reiterated.
José Luís Carneiro noted that the proposal also has some “inconsistencies,” in addition to potential unconstitutionality, with the Government saying “it wants to curb nationality, yet at the same time plans to grant nationality to great-grandchildren [of Portuguese] which has a very significant effect.”
Furthermore, regarding family reunification, the Government’s proposals could threaten “international commitments of the Portuguese State and even constitutional values,” notably the protection of the family, he noted.
Concerning the creation of a unit within the PSP responsible for controlling the entry and exit of citizens, José Luís Carneiro believes “it is necessary to understand what powers” this unit will have, considering that clarifications will be needed from the Government.
“What I suggest to the Government is to try to maintain the historic dialogue and consensus that existed on regime matters and sovereignty issues,” he stated.
The Council of Ministers approved four decrees in the field of immigration, introducing changes to the nationality law, the law for foreigners, the regime for CPLP citizens, and a new proposal for the creation of the National Unit of Foreigners and Borders in the PSP, which was rejected in the previous legislature.
