The deadline for delivering the projects ends this Friday, but the PS does not want a constitutional revision, but two – this one that starts now and another, extraordinary, later.
Indeed, for the time being, the Socialists – but not only – want to solve problems raised by the President of the Republic regarding constitutional conformity that will allow the adoption of a new health emergency law and a new metadata law (the first version had failed in the Constitutional Court) . Then, later, if the PSD comes into play, they will try to make an extraordinary review to resolve issues related to the Autonomous Regions, which are currently being discussed in the parliaments of the Azores and Madeira.
This Thursday evening, the National Political Commission of the PS and the National Council of the PSD met to discuss and conclude the constitutional revision projects that will be delivered this Friday.
At the end of the day on Thursday, little was known about the PS project. In addition to the issue of the health emergency (rules on the state’s prerogatives to declare detention on medical grounds) and metadata (rules for law enforcement access to personal data such as detailed mobile phone bills or geolocation data), the PS plans to conduct a “rights update” on issues related to gender identity, digital rights and animal protection. In other words, a project that is neither macro nor micro – a “lean” project, in DN’s words, of a party leader.
The PSD project will provide, out of about 40 proposals, for a single mandate for the President of the Republic (seven years, instead of two out of five), the reduction of the number of deputies to a minimum of 181 and a maximum of 215 (there are 230).
It also states that one of the tasks of the state should be to guarantee “universal and free access to day-care centers and to pre-school and secondary education (the latter is also compulsory)”. The right to health, on the other hand, will be implemented “in addition to private and social health services”, which will be a new prescription.
Vote for 16?
One of the proposals that the PSD will present is to lower the minimum voting age from 18 to 16. In any case, the PAN will propose the same thing – but not the PS, so unless the socialists change their minds, the minimum basis of agreement that makes the idea viable is not in sight.
In terms of electoral rules, the PAN will also propose that the accounting method for parliamentary terms is no longer the de Hondt method, but the Sainte-Laguë method, which favors less the major parties. Another proposal, regarding election rules, will come from Livre.
Rui Tavares will propose to add to the various district (and regional and emigration) circles a national compensation circle (which will elect X number of deputies and in which all the votes of all parties that elect no one in the other circles will be deposited – method that already used in the elections to the regional parliament of the Azores).
Livre also wants to introduce electronic voting for Portuguese emigrants and also enshrine rights such as the right to digital oblivion, adequate food and nutrition, lifelong education and qualification and even the right to rest and leisure.
The constitutional review process was initiated by Chega – the only party that had already formally delivered a project. As for the parties who will present the project, there are only doubts about the PCP and the BE. Catarina Martins accused the Socialists of being “drowned in scandal”, of being “dragged” by Chega, in a “maneuver to divert attention”, including regarding the state budget for 2023.
Source: DN
