Government: "There are no preferred partners, we talk to everyone"

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs rejected the idea that the Government has “preferred partners” and said he did not understand the PS’s criticism of the dialogue with Chega , accusing the Socialists of having been “suffocated” by the immigration package.

"There are no preferred partners, if you'll pardon the expression. We, at this moment, as I said when I presented the Government program, speak to everyone, everyone, everyone, to paraphrase someone much better than us. And that's exactly what we're doing," Carlos Abreu Amorim said in a statement to Lusa news agency during the debate on the state of the nation that will take place in parliament on Thursday .

The minister said he did not understand the PS's criticisms regarding the executive's dialogue with Chega, stating that " they seem to be criticisms from those who have nothing else to criticize ."

Carlos Abreu Amorim stressed that the PSD/CDS-PP executive continues to want to engage in dialogue “with everyone, in every way,” pointing out that there are political forces that come close to the Government's positions in certain situations and others that do not.

"The Socialist Party (PS) apparently felt embarrassing because, in the immigration package, we, imagine, acknowledged that there was a problem and wanted to solve it. And the PS continues to deny the problem's existence. Now, those who deny the problem don't want to participate in the solution ," he argued, referring to the government's proposals that change nationality and immigration laws and create the PSP's Foreigners and Borders Unit.

Chega has a different vision from the executive branch, he continued, “but it has managed to come somewhat closer to the Government’s position.”

The minister said he hopes the Socialist Party "evolves a little" on the issue of immigration, and that it remains open to dialogue on "all topics."

"And I am very convinced that the current leadership of the PS, and now the current leadership and new parliamentary leadership of the PS, is up to the responsibilities of this party in building Portuguese democracy," he stressed.

Carlos Abreu Amorim highlighted that, in the current parliamentary framework, dialogue “is inevitable and essential” and that his ministry has been a kind of “pivot” of this “constant and intense” dialogue.

The minister hopes that the opposition will feel a sense of responsibility to ensure the legislature ends and guaranteed that the executive will do "everything in its power" to achieve this, except "sacrificing its own program."

"We do not want and will not accept opposition parties governing from parliament and the government acting as a sort of incumbent. No way," he warned.

Carlos Abreu Amorim recalled that his predecessor, Pedro Duarte, also expected the legislature to reach its conclusion, but that did not happen, but he issued a warning.

"In all sincerity, regardless of any political-partisan judgment, forcing the country to interrupt the legislature again and making legislative elections not, as the Constitution says, every four years, but every year, if you will, would be irresponsible ," he argued.

The debate on the state of the nation is scheduled for next Thursday, the first since the XXV Constitutional Government took office, which will be attended by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the rest of the government.