“Democratic suffocation”. Government accused of trying to silence critics at the National Sports Council

The new regulation proposed by the Government imposes a duty of confidentiality in relation to topics discussed at the National Sports Council. The opposition accuses the executive of wanting to censor critics.

The Government is being criticized by the opposition and various sectors of sport due to proposed changes to the regulations of the National Sports Council (CND), a consultative body responsible for advising the Executive in defining public policies for the sector.

According to the new regulations, Council members are subject to a duty to “confidentiality and reservation” in relation to the matters discussed, the content of the meetings and the documents analyzed. The text also provides that this obligation continues even after the end of the councilors’ duties.

Furthermore, public disclosure of the recommendations, opinions and positions discussed will become exclusive competence of the President of the Councilaccording to the .

The proposal, signed by the state secretary of Sports, Pedro Dias, should be discussed and voted on this Thursday and is already generating strong internal discomfort. Critics accuse the government of trying to create a kind of “cork law” to silence dissenting voices and convey an artificial image of consensus.

The controversy has already reached Parliament. The Liberal Initiative sent questions to the Government, warning of a possible conditioning of freedom of expression of the Board members and for limitations on accountability before the entities represented.

Liberals consider that the changes move the Council away from a “plural, transparent and participatory” logic, bringing it closer to a “closer” modelwhere all external communication is centralized in the presidency.

The Socialist Party also harshly criticized the initiative, classifying it as “a worrying sign of democratic suffocation by the Government.” Deputy Dália Rodrigues stated that the National Sports Council must continue to be “a space for freedom of opinion, open debate and public transparency.” “The attempt to publicly limit or mute the members of the Council reveal enormous difficulty in dealing with criticism and contradiction”, he emphasizes.

The National Sports Council is part of several influential figures in the sectorincluding Pedro Proença, president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Joaquim Evangelista, leader of the Players’ Union, and Fernando Gomes, president of the Portuguese Olympic Committee.

Critics also emphasize that the new rules could make the CND more restrictive than other bodies State consultation. As an example, they point out that even the State Council minutes can be released after 30 years, despite existing reserve obligations.

So far, Pedro Dias has not publicly responded to criticism or requests for clarification made by the opposition.