Lisbon, July 4, 2025 (Lusa) - The Socialist Party believes that it has succeeded in blocking general votes on the government's proposals to revise the nationality and immigration laws, and now hopes that, in the committee phase, it will be possible to remove "unconstitutionalities and injustices" in these laws.
This position was conveyed to journalists by the Socialist parliamentary leader, Eurico Brilhante Dias, after the government's requests for its proposed laws amending the nationality and immigration laws to go straight to the specialised stage were approved.
"We note that the government, on the issues of immigration and nationality, in which it presented two bills that are unconstitutional and that the PS would have voted against, ended up corresponding to the PS proposal," said the former Secretary of State.
On Thursday, the PS asked the government to accept that these pieces of legislation should be sent directly to the specialised section, without a vote in the general phase. Still, the PSD refused, stating that it was a political requirement for each party to take a position on each of the pieces of legislation under discussion during the general phase.
"We now hope that, during the specialised work, we can not only remove the unconstitutionalities, but above all, make these two pieces of legislation fairer for people," said Eurico Brilhante Dias.
The speaker of parliament of the PS said that he had noted that what his party considered important, "which was to stop the approval in general and discuss it in detail, was what the secretary-general of the PS, José Luís Carneiro, proposed and it was what was eventually considered".
Eurico Brilhante Dias also pointed out that "one of the fathers of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, Professor Jorge Miranda, pointed out a series of unconstitutionalities" inherent in the government's legislation.
"The PS, with its intervention, managed to stop this process in the vote and now it's time to work together on a series of solutions for the Portuguese people," he added.
Regarding the negotiations on these bills with the government, Eurico Brilhante Dias repeated the idea that the talks with the government were inconclusive.
Then, this morning, "the government told us that they were going to drop the legislation without a specialised vote. So this morning, at the start of the debate, the PS Parliamentary Group already knew that this was the government's decision," he clarified.
Speaking to journalists, Eurico Brilhante Dias said that the PS had tabled an amendment to include the wage premium for younger people in the reduction in personal income tax.
"We made this proposal to say that the youngest people on the lowest salaries will not only be guaranteed the young person's IRS - a measure that has been in place since the PS governments - but will also be guaranteed the wage premium equivalent to the return of tuition fees," he explained.
Eurico Brilhante Dias also pointed out that Chega and the PSD "announced an agreement to lower the IRS, which the PS also favoured, but the agreement they are signing will allow, for example, a young worker, a young nurse, doctor, lawyer or teacher to have a lower IRS reduction than, for example, a member of parliament".
"In the specialised chamber, we will continue to fight for a reduction in personal income tax for everyone, but a reduction in personal income tax with social justice," he added.
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