Political Clash Over Portugal's Foreigners Law: PSD Rejects Chega's 'Unconstitutional' Demands and PS's 'Return to the Past'

Political Standoff Over Foreigners Law

With just hours remaining before the discussion and vote on the new foreigners law text aimed at circumventing declarations of unconstitutionality, the PSD (Social Democratic Party) remains undecided on whether to align with Chega or the PS (Socialist Party).

Negotiation Dynamics

In the past two days, according to PÚBLICO sources, the PSD has prioritized contact with André Ventura's Chega party, engaging in successive proposal discussions. Meanwhile, the PS has maintained some distance, working on its amendment proposals independently and even presenting them in a press conference before sharing them with the Social Democrats.

Key Issues at Stake

The PSD has rejected Chega's imposition regarding the timeframe for immigrants to benefit from Social Security support, labeling these conditions as potentially "unconstitutional". Additionally, the party has criticized the PS's approach as a "return to the past", highlighting the risk of cross-voting leaving the law with significant gaps.

This political maneuvering occurs against the backdrop of the government's efforts to address previous court rulings that challenged provisions in the foreigners law, making the upcoming vote crucial for Portugal's immigration policy framework.