“It is the governance that determines whether the reinforcement is necessary or not. However, I believe that any resources improving institutional performance are welcome,” stated Gouveia e Melo to journalists in Barcelos, Braga district, during a campaign event.
Gouveia e Melo emphasized the need to “strengthen institutions, because society comprises people and institutions, and often in Portugal, we do not sufficiently reinforce institutions.”
On Wednesday, the parliament approved a budget increase of 1.6 million euros for the Constitutional Court (TC), proposed by Chega, granting the request made by the judges of Palácio Ratton during a parliamentary hearing.
Today, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Carlos Abreu Amorim, called for the opposition to alter their vote to reject this reinforcement, asserting that the TC already “has the necessary means to function optimally” and focusing on the debate over the necessity of creating a new digital platform.
“The question is whether this parliament, particularly the Chega and PS benches, believe it is appropriate, sensible, and aligns with the interests of Justice to create a distinct digital platform for the Constitutional Court with 750,000 euros, as requested by the TC and facilitated by Chega and PS,” he stated.
The minister argued that the issue at hand is not a “temporary technical reinforcement,” but the creation of a “structural exception with permanent impact on future budgets” – considering the implementation takes over 20 months – and a “technological island” for the TC, which does not enhance “agility and interoperability within the justice system.”
