Constitutionalist Jorge Miranda considers the proposals to increase the mandate and powers of the President of the Republic to be among the “most dangerous” ever presented, associates them with dictatorial constitutions, and admits that he is “deeply concerned” about the growth of the extreme right.
The statements were made in a joint interview with TSF and the news newspapers, in which Jorge Miranda began by classifying the decision to now launch a constitutional review process as “deplorable”, “when the country faces so many problems”.
Regarding the proposals submitted, the constitutionalist specifically referred to that of the PSD, which plans to extend the mandate of the President of the Republic (PR) to seven years, manifesting itself as “completely disagree”.
For Jorge Miranda, this possibility, together with an increase in the power of the PR, “may mean calling into question the semi-presidential system or the rationalized parliamentary system, which was established in the 1982 constitutional revision”.
“A very long PR mandate was in the 1933 constitution and only in constitutions in the dictatorial sense are PR mandates very long,” he explained.
Jorge Miranda pointed out that the PR is currently elected for five years and can only be re-elected once. He defended the importance of giving voters the opportunity to pass judgment on how the PR has exercised its power in a first term.
“It is more democratic to allow re-election after a reasonable term than to prescribe seven years without the possibility for citizens to express any opinion and views,” he added.
The constitutionalist also addressed the increase in PR powers advocated in several projects, deeming it “extremely dangerous”, and defending the current definition of PR enshrined in the constitution, admitting it is “an exercise in institutional interdependence with parliament and government”. and “a verdict of the voting citizens after a certain number of years”.
“I find the proposal unacceptable and one of the most dangerous that have been tabled,” he stressed.
Jorge Miranda was also asked about his view on the global growth of populism and far-right movements, admitting that he “worry a lot”.
Recalling the arrival or rapprochement in power of the far right in several European countries, the constitutionalist stated that the democratic regime could be at stake, and warned of the need for the courts to be “observant”.
“Especially the Constitutional Court. A serious problem is not co-opting judges in the Constitutional Court. There are one or two judges whose term has expired and those who should succeed have not been co-opted. And I think that’s dangerous.”
Jorge Miranda pointed out that it was Chega who prompted the constitutional revision and believed that there was no need for the PSD and the PS to present follow-up projects, and that they should let Chega “talk to itself”.
“In addition, Chega came up with impermissible proposals, life imprisonment, non-limitation to the immunity of the House, revocation of the substantive limits of constitutional revision. It is extremely dangerous. And, I say again, what the other democratic parties should do was keep your arms folded, let Chega present projects”.
Source: DN
