The stance was conveyed to journalists by the leader of the socialist parliamentary group, Eurico Brilhante Dias, following the approval of government requests for its proposed amendments to the nationality and immigration laws to be referred directly to the specialty stage.
“We acknowledge that the Government, in the matters of immigration and nationality – where it presented two manifestly unconstitutional law proposals that would have been opposed by the PS – eventually aligned with the PS’s proposal,” stated the former Secretary of State.
On Thursday, the PS requested the Government to agree to submit these bills directly to the specialty stage without a general phase vote, but PSD declined, asserting that it was a political requirement for each party to position themselves in the general phase regarding each bill under discussion.
“We now hope that during the specialty work, not only will the unconstitutional elements be rectified, but above all, that the two bills will become fairer for people,” emphasized Eurico Brilhante Dias.
The president of the PS Parliamentary Group noted that what his party deemed important – preventing approval in the general phase and discussing in the specialty phase – was proposed by the PS Secretary-General, José Luís Carneiro, and ultimately considered.
Eurico Brilhante Dias also highlighted that “one of the framers of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, professor Jorge Miranda, pointed out a number of constitutional violations” inherent in the Government’s bills.
“The PS, through its intervention, managed to halt this process in the vote, and now it’s time to work together on solutions for the Portuguese people,” he added.
Regarding the negotiations of these bills with the Government, Eurico Brilhante Dias reiterated that the conversation with the executive was inconclusive.
Later this morning, “the Government informed us that the bills would be sent to specialty without a vote. Therefore, this morning, at the start of the debate, the PS Parliamentary Group was already aware of this Government decision,” he clarified.
