The goal is clear: to increase confidence and stability in politics. The call was made by SEDES, the Association for Economic and Social Development, in a communiqué addressed to the parties, the government and the President of the Republic, issued last Monday and the following day in a statement expressing “concern” about the political situation and therefore listed several proposals.
“The statement has a cyclical concern,” begins an explanation to DN Miguel Poiares Maduro, university professor and vice president of SEDES. “In short, it is also the result of structural concerns, which have translated into instability. What we as SEDES understand is that the problems that have arisen have ultimately affected the democratic system and even the state itself and created difficulties”.
According to the association’s vice-president, “problems require reforms. Essentially, what SEDES proposes are two things: on the one hand, better control of processes. And on the other hand, a mechanism for vetting“.
It should be noted that these mechanisms already exist in other political contexts, such as the European Commission. Luís de Sousa, a specialist researcher on regulatory mechanisms and ethics in politics, essentially explains that the commissioners are appointed by the member states and in this process – between the time the name is proposed and the inauguration – the candidates for commissioners submit a declaration of interests, the European Commission then carries out a series of checks: criminal records; possible links to, among other things, ongoing judicial investigations.
Another dimension of vetting for example, it would be at the party level, as happens in the United States – where vice presidential candidates have their background checked before campaigns, explains Luís de Sousa.
At the level of Congress and other institutions, there are preinaugural hearings to ensure the independence of congressmen. Other countries such as Germany, France or Spain have that too vetting own.
The proposal that SEDES now wants to present, says Miguel Poiares Maduro, “will be an intermediary” between the two dimensions. “It will still be something to think about” by the association, and the vice president points out that the inclusion of an independent evaluation should be discussed because, he emphasizes, “a completely internal mechanism [sobretudo ao nível partidário] it’s not a nice review”.
The creation and application of these mechanisms would thus help prevent and avoid cases such as those of the three secretaries of state recently expelled from the government: Miguel Alves (deputy, accused of crimes when he was mayor in Caminha); Alexandra Reis (Treasury, left government after news reported 500,000 euros in damages when she left TAP); Carla Alves (Agriculture, joint accounts seized with her husband after judicial investigation).
“What needed to happen in government was that enough information had to be available before taking office to conduct a public scrutiny of the proposed names. We should have this information with all appointments,” says Miguel Poiares Maduro.
For the former Deputy Minister of Regional Development (between 2013 and 2015): “Portugal could already be a vetting evolved quite a bit, as there are several systems that could have been adopted”.
Is there therefore a lack of political will to regulate more seriously? Poiares Maduro prefers to speak of a “vicious circle”. “The political class creates principles, creates ethical mechanisms, such as codes or laws [caso da Lei das Incompatibilidades ou do Código de Conduta dos deputados]but then it has no institutions to quickly check and apply these mechanisms,” he adds. applied”.
Some proposals from SEDES
circles with one member
The aim is to bring people closer to politics and vice versa. Creating single-member constituencies (instead of the existing multi-member constituencies), SEDES argues, would “enhance voters’ freedom of choice” while at the same time holding those elected to account, bringing the local deputy and voters closer to come together. .
Creation of a parliamentary Senate
It already exists in 13 Member States of the European Union and by creating one in Portugal, SEDES aims to “moderate the powers of the government and, under the powers and powers of this Senate, exercise control over the activities and budgets of independent and regulatory entities”.
most sovereign parliament
Another intention of SEDES is to present to Parliament – through parliamentary hearings – the most relevant political appointments, such as those of the main leaders of entities with legal personality and administrative and financial autonomy, or of regulatory authorities.
Check out family law
SEDES also plans to review legislation banning direct family arrangements, extending it to indirect family members and also passing it on to local authorities and public entities.
Source: DN
