António Cotrim / Lusa
The Government’s State Budget proposal for 2026 was generally approved in parliament, this Tuesday, with votes in favor from PSD and CDS-PP and abstentions from PS, PAN and JPP. The nationality law was also approved.
This is the first State Budget of the XXV Constitutional Government, the second executive of the PSD/CDS-PP coalition headed by Luís Montenegro, who took office less than five months ago.
Chega, IL, Livre, PCP and BE voted against the PSD/CDS-PP Government’s proposal, but the abstentions of PS, PAN and JPP were valid.
The vote against Chega, the second largest parliamentary group, was announced by the party president, in statements to journalists, in parliament, shortly before the end of the Budget debate in general.
Andre Ventura justified this decision by stating that there is a “fiscal suffocation” on companies and families to “support a gigantic State machine” and also stated that “the Government is irreducible in preventing the fuel discount from ending”.
Already José Luís Carneiro he described the PS’s position as a “demanding abstention” to “ensure political stability”, after verifying that the “basic conditions” he had placed before the prime minister were ensured.
Nationality law approved
The changes to the Nationality Law, which came from a Government proposal, were approved in a final global vote by PSD/CDS, Chega, IL and JPP.
PS, Livre, Bloco de Esquerda, PAN and PCP voted against.
In relation to the version that came out of the specialty process, which ended on Friday, PSD and CDS have now accepted a reformulation presented by Chega, according to which anyone who obtains it through clearly fraudulent means loses their nationality. This was the only call approved in yesterday’s plenary session.
The final version of the proposal will state that the Obtaining nationality will only be possible after ten years of legal residence in Portugalwith a period of seven years for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries and the European Union.
PSD/CDS, Chega and IL approved an amendment to the Penal Code which provides for possibility of a judge applying, as an additional penalty, for serious crimes, the loss of nationality.
Among other changes, there will be a new requirement for proof, through “test or certificate”of nationality applicants “have sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language and culture, history and national symbols”.
More consensual, although the vote against Livre deserved it, was the condition imposed on applicants for nationality of have not been convictedwith the decision becoming final, “with a prison sentence of two years or more”.
In the specialty phase, PSD and CDS introduced an increase in the conditions for access to nationality, this relating to livelihood guarantees for those residing in national territory – an addition that the PS classified as “a concession to Chega” and which led Pedro Delgado Alves to warn of “risks of injustice”.
Also like the PS opposition, children born in Portugal will only have nationality if “one of the parents has legally resided in national territory for at least five years” – another measure supported by Chega.
On the other hand, at the proposal of the PSD/CDS Government, naturalization of children born in Portugal to foreigners who are illegally in the country ends. In the law still in force, the possibility of naturalization is open to those who are “children of a foreigner, regardless of title”.
In terms of standards to regulate the future law, the socialists’ demand to open a transitional period until March of next year was rejected by the Government parties.
The diploma that left the specialty phase states that the new law will come into force on the day following its publication.
“Portugal becomes more Portugal”
During the period of interventions before the votes on the new nationality law, António Leitão Amaro considered that “today Portugal becomes more Portugal” and that this is one of the “most important” laws, leaving parliament with a text that is “better than the one that entered”.
Saluting PSD and CDS-PP, which support the Government, but also IL and Chega “who helped to approve this law”, the minister also thanked the PS for the “constructive effort in part of this process” and said that it was possible to approach the socialists “in so many aspects”.
“I regret the PS’s fixation on preserving the old regime, which is light and easy. It is because we do not accept this ease that there was no agreement with the PS”, he argued, considering that “citizenship should not be given to help integration”, but rather given to “those who have already integrated”.
An “attack on human rights”
The president of the country’s largest immigrant association accused Portuguese politicians of promoting a “civilizational setback” in Portugalwith the new nationality law, which claims to attack the human rights of those who arrive.
“O Portuguese government prefers to give way to populism and the most regressive policies that exist in Europe. We missed a great opportunity to not go back to the 20th century”, said Timóteo Macedo, to Lusa.
“It went back to the means of subsistence test that existed in the past in which people were asked to have a minimum income, a proof that Portuguese nationality is also sold. This entire policy is incoherent and goes against the humanist spirit of the Portuguese people and will have economic consequences”, he stated.
“As long as we have thousands of illegals, hidden, doing the work that is necessary, salaries will not rise. And whoever accuses immigrants today of stealing jobs, these jobs will continue to go to those who are most exploited”, warned Timóteo Macedo.
The President of Solidariedade Imigrante said that “people are treated differently, creating a unacceptable discrimination” and added that he hopes that the President of the Republic will have the diploma verified, as he considers that it violates the “principle of equality”, provided for in the Portuguese Constitution.
Montenegro does not want “occasional Portuguese”
At the end of the day, Montenegro wanted to speak to the Portuguese. In a statement at the official residence in São Bento, in Lisbon, minutes after the approval of the nationality law in parliament with votes in favor of PSD, Chega, IL and CDS-PP, the prime minister stated that the Government does not want “occasional Portuguese”, stressing that it is not necessary to have nationality to work in the country, and promised new rules for the repatriation of illegal immigrants soon.
“Nationality is the recognition of a deep bond and should not be trivialized. Being Portuguese is not a mere formality or convenience, it is an honor and a responsibility. To work in Portugal you don’t need to be Portuguese. But To be Portuguese you need much more than working in Portugal”, these.
The prime minister stated that this law “replaces the requirement” lost in PS executives, by requiring “integration time, knowledge of the language and culture, effective connection to Portugal, adherence to essential values and respect for the most fundamental rules of life in common”.
“We don’t want occasional Portuguese people”, he stressed.
Soon, he said, the Government will present new legislation on the return of illegal immigrants.
“So we can have a repatriation mechanism that simultaneously offers dignity, effectiveness and improves cooperation with the countries of origin of immigrants who do not respect the rules that are established”, he said.
At the same time, he promised, the Government will continue “to reinforce humanist integration measures and attract qualified talent that adds value, innovation and future to Portugal”.
“In the face of chaos, we are returning order. In the face of inertia, we are acting. In the face of the crisis, we choose to reform to resolve it. And we do so by reestablishing the balance between acceptance and demand”, he said, saying that the approved law “is balanced”.
