A document addressed to the President of the Transparency and Statute of Deputies Committee, MP Rui Paulo Sousa of Chega, recalls that on July 4th, during a plenary session in the Assembly of the Republic, André Ventura, the leader of Chega, named several foreign children reportedly enrolled in a primary school in Lisbon.
The previous day, MP Rita Matias recorded a video inside the parliament building, citing the full names of children allegedly registered in a preschool class in Lisbon.
“The video exhibited a document from an unidentified school – though potentially identifiable – listing the full names of these children, which not only exposed them and violated their rights but also could potentially endanger them,” argue the MPs from Livre.
The political group accuses Chega’s MPs of making these statements “with a clearly discriminatory intent, aiming to demonstrate that certain people, based on their names, do not belong in the country nor deserve to be here, legitimizing pointing them out, excluding, and stigmatizing them.”
“This rhetorical device cannot easily be framed under freedom of expression, as it directly conflicts with the right to a good name, non-discrimination, and the free development of these children’s personalities – and it must be emphasized, children!” argue Livre’s MPs. This comes after José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, President of the Assembly of the Republic, on July 7, framed this incident within the context of freedom of expression.
Furthermore, Livre’s MPs contend the interventions “are based on falsehoods, particularly the claim that children of immigrants have priority in accessing preschool spots.”
The party led by Rui Tavares and Isabel Mendes Lopes considers these events “irresponsible, offend the dignity and prestige of the Assembly of the Republic, contribute to its discredit and disgrace, violate the decorum with which the duties of MPs should be executed, and potentially infringe on various constitutional-legal norms and principles of the Portuguese legal system.”
For this reason, the party requests that the Transparency and Statute of Deputies Committee addresses the incident and “issues recommendations that ensure the responsible and dignified exercise of MPs’ duties and speech.”
