Questioned at the conclusion of João Paulo Correia’s campaign presentation for Vila Nova de Gaia’s municipal office, the socialist leader stated: “Naturally, we were very touched by the President of the Republic’s words when he mentioned that the proposal at hand contained provisions that would merit significant attention from him.”
Avoiding elaboration and requesting patience for the decision on the ratification of the law that was rejected by all left-wing parties in Parliament, José Luís Carneiro acknowledged the existence of “provisions that challenge constitutional values.”
Regarding Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s delay in ratifying the bill and whether this indicates disagreement, the socialist leader viewed it as indicative of a “sensitive matter requiring careful consideration.”
“This was, indeed, one of the reasons why we criticized AD and Chega, who in the Assembly of the Republic formed an agreement to decide hastily, without consulting higher courts, without balance, thus forcing a vote that should not have occurred at that time. That is why we appealed for a postponement to September, particularly to allow higher courts to express their views.”
