PCP deputy Alma Rivera considered the proposal absurd and “a subterfuge to limit the attribution of nationality”, accusing Chega of adopting an attitude of permanent contempt for Portuguese culture, exemplifying that it “voted against” a vote of salute to Literature Nobel Prize winner José Saramago.
In the same vein, the PAN’s only deputy Inês Sousa Real considered that this proposal “is not innocent and bears an ideological stamp and the known agenda of Chega”, while Rui Tavares, for Livre, pointed out that it could outlaw hundreds of thousands of citizens with Portuguese nationality, namely in Macau or Timor, and also questioned how knowledge of culture would be defined.
“A while ago I heard the municipal deputy for Chega say that the mosque in Mouraria was a sprain to the tradition of the place,” he criticized, stressing that “the word Mouraria is not like that by chance.”
In his retort, André Ventura warned that “those who want to use this forum to make grotesque attacks or bad jokes” will be answered.
“I don’t accept that someone says that a municipal deputy did a sprain to the Portuguese language, when he had a deputy from his party doing sprains to the Portuguese language in a row during the entire mandate, who later said she was a liar and even ordered him to leave the party. Those were sprains,” he pointed out, in a reference to former Free party MP Joacine Katar Moreira.
This phrase provoked a warning from the president of the commission, social democrat José Silvano, against “abusive language” and some hubbub in the room, prompting another round of interventions from the various parties in a general tone of appeal to elevate the debate.
O presidente e deputado do Chega (CH), André Ventura, intervém durante o debate de urgência requerido pelo seu partido, sobre “Greves e reivindicações dos professores”, em Lisboa, 19 de janeiro de 2023. ANTÓNIO PEDRO SANTOS/LUSA Earlier, most parties had also voiced their opposition to proposals by Chega and PAN to change Article 1 of the Constitution, which defines what the Portuguese Republic is.
Ventura’s party wanted to introduce the word “work” — saying it was an original idea from PSD founder Francisco Sá Carneiro — and Inês Sousa Real wanted to add “respect for nature and animals” to that article.
Most parties, including PS and PSD (whose vote is required to approve any change to the Constitution), felt that these references would be better dealt with in other articles of the fundamental law.
The discussion stopped today at Article 4 of the Constitution, and José Silvano informed that, starting in March, there will be two meetings a week (on Tuesdays at 5:30pm and on Thursdays, after the plenary) and that they may extend until at least 11pm.
