The deadline given by Marcelo for the decision on the housing package expires on Sunday the 20th and the outcome is not yet certain for the time being. But according to the president of the republic himself, the package of measures will not be sent to the Constitutional Court (TC).
This Thursday, speaking to CNN Portugal, the president of the republic said he found no constitutionality questions. “I didn’t understand that it was clear that there were doubts. I know who defended these doubts about Local Accommodation or forced rent, but it’s not a question”, he stated. Still, the door to a possible presidential veto is not completely closed. “I understand that there is no doubt about the constitutionality and that is why we are now entering the period of a few more days, until the 20th, in which I will concentrate on the political issue. I have decided. But, like everything else in life, it is a balancing of more favorable or less favorable arguments”It is good to clarify that this is not for constitutional reasons,” said the president of the republic. If he chooses to veto the diploma, it will be Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s 28th time using this mechanism. So So far, the president of the republic has vetoed five government decrees and 22 diplomas from the Assembly of the Republic.
The program More housing was first introduced in February. After approval and announcement by the government, the package of measures has been in public discussion for three months. Despite criticism from various sectors, such as landlords or Alojamento Local associations, the legislative package – which contained significant changes since its first draft – was approved on July 19, with the PS being the only party to vote in favour. PSD, BE, IL and Chega voted against; Livre and PAN abstained.
Constitutional Drug Law
Contrary to what he announced about housing, this Thursday Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa sent to the TC the new drug law, approved by parliament on July 19, which aims to decriminalize synthetic drugs and make a new distinction between trafficking and consumption.
According to the statement published in the place official of the Presidency, the broadcast to the Ratton Palace is justified by the “lack of consultation” of the autonomous regions of Madeira and the Azores during the legislative process: “The President of the Republic has today requested [esta quinta-feira] to the Constitutional Court the preventive constitutionality review, due to lack of consultation with the governing bodies of those Regionsof the Decree of the General Assembly of the Republic clarifying the sanctions regime in relation to the possession of drugs for consumption, regardless of quantity and establishing regular deadlines for updating regulatory standards, amending Decree-Law No. 15/93 of January 22 and law n.º 30/2000, of November 29.” In the note, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa states that the participation of the Autonomous Regions is particularly important because of the “special incidence of new types of drugs” in Madeira and the Azores. taking into account “the sanctions regime adopted therein and the regionalization of health services, fundamental to the application of the new diploma”, which will have “serious consequences for public health, with recognized regional characteristics”.
In response, the Operational Unit for the Intervention of Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies of Madeira (UCAD) praised the president’s decision, but warned of the “danger” that any approval of the diploma would entail.
The President of the Madeiran Parliament also welcomed Marcelo’s position and recalled that he had already sent a letter to the President on this. “The Assembly of the Republic has violated the Constitution and the Statute by not hearing the governing bodies of the Autonomous Regions about these changes”, said Jose Manuel Rodrigues.
Council of State on September 5
The date, place and time are already fixed: on September 5, in the Palace of Belém, at 3 p.m., the Council of State will meet again. The information was initially provided by SIC Notícias and confirmed to DN by a Belém source. This meeting will resume the previous one, on July 21, which was interrupted after four hours to allow the Prime Minister, António Costa, to travel to New Zealand, where he watched the opening match of the national team in the Women’s World Cup. The head of government then traveled to East Timor for an official visit. At the end of the meeting, a statement said that the meeting had “the central theme of the analysis of the political, economic and social situation”.
Source: DN
