The new version of Foreigners Law, which will be voted on September 30th, was the central topic of the biweekly debate this Wednesday, the 25th, in the Assembly of the Republic, in Lisbon. The leader of the Chega party, André Ventura, criticized the government's lack of dialogue and heard a direct response from Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
Ventura stated that he learned about the proposal through the press. "No one from Chega was contacted about this," he complained. The previous version of the law had been approved with the party's support but was vetoed by the Constitutional Court.
The new text, among other changes, extends the deadlines for family reunification. A visibly irritated Ventura accused the government of giving in to pressure. "We never back down," he said.
Montenegro responded. "The negotiations are not the imposition of Congressman André Ventura's will," he stated. He added: "We must respect the functioning of democracy, the rules of democracy."
Ventura responded that he will continue fighting "against anyone's will to put the Portuguese people first." In a further reply, Montenegro noted that the President of the Republic has enhanced legitimacy by having been elected with over 50% of the vote, both in the first round and on two occasions.
The vote on the new Foreigners' Law will take place during the election campaign. According to SIC, all parties have agreed on the date.
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