Viseu, Portugal, Aug. 8, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, has given assurances that he will not abandon the draft foreigners' bill, which will be debated in parliament in September, saying that only after the Constitutional Court (TC) has given its ruling will there be any changes to the wording.
Luís Montenegro, speaking on Thursday evening, promised that "if, by chance, the TC finds that there is a rule or a solution to a rule that is not completely in accordance with the interpretation of constitutional principles," the majority he represents will "abide by that decision and find a legal solution that respects the TC's ruling."
"But it must also fulfil the objective. In other words, one thing is very clear: we will not give up on our objective, even if there is some correction to the wording of the bill as a result of the TC's ruling," he stressed.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration of the 633rd edition of the São Mateus Fair in Viseu, the prime minister recalled that the law on foreigners “has not even been debated” in Parliament, and he expects this to happen at the beginning of the session in September.
“We are awaiting the Constitutional Court’s ruling, which will be very soon,” said the prime minister, expressing his “conviction that the solutions found in Parliament are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic,” while acknowledging that even judges “often disagree,” but he will “wait calmly.”
“If, as we expect, there is no disagreement, our expectation is to continue on this path and therefore we will have a new law that brings regulation and dignity to immigrants who seek work and an enhanced life in Portugal, and we need them,” he said.
Asked about the privatisation process of TAP, which led the country's president to raise some questions with the executive, Luís Montenegro, without referring to the doubts raised by the head of state, assured that the government had responded, which led to the enactment of the law by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“We are going to move on to the next phase, which is to approve the specifications, which will be the determining factor in enabling us to launch the procedure for receiving proposals,” he continued, “and it is worth reiterating, giving our airline a future, making an operation that is in Portugal’s strategic interest viable and sustainable. And that is what we are doing quite simply".
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