New Socialist leader opens possibility for “having a discussion”
New Socialist leader José Luís Carneiro has said today that his party cannot vote in favour of changes to the immigration laws proposed by the government if they remain in the version so far presented in parliament.
“What we are saying is that, as it stands today, it is not in a position to be voted in favour of by the Socialist Party. The government needs to open up the possibility of having a discussion on matters under consideration,” said the incoming secretary-general after an audience with the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at Belém palace.
Carneiro referred to “more sensitive matters” and “less sensitive matters”. Socialists believe that “it is possible to perfect certain matters” in the executive’s legislation on nationality and foreigners, to be debated in parliament on Friday.
But as things stand at the moment, the government “cannot count on the Socialist Party voting in favour”.
CHEGA, the second political force, has intimated that it will almost certainly support the government’s proposals which have already led to a ‘rush of immigrants’ to registrars offices up and down the country, as they try to get papers in for residency/ nationality before the laws change.
Source material: LUSA
