The Minister of Housing reacted today to the presidential veto of the government’s main measures to respond to the current crisis in the sector by maintaining the government’s position on the balance of the Mais Habitação program.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to a construction site in Almada (Setúbal district), Marina Gonçalves pointed out that the government’s proposal “has been studied” and has taken into account different opinions.
“For us, the diploma and its various proposals are important,” he stressed, expressing respect for Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s political veto, which became known today.
“Parliament has already given its verdict,” she said, stressing that it was a proposal that “responds to the needs” of the people.
She assured that “the structural policy is underway” and stressed that, with the Mais Habitação package, the government intended to “complement this structural response with more immediate measures”.
Marina Gonçalves dismissed the veto and the political “disagreements”, preferring to highlight as a “positive note” the fact that the President did not raise doubts about the constitutionality and legality of the law.
The President of the Republic today vetoed the decree that brings together the main changes to housing legislation – with changes to rents, licensing and local accommodation – approved on July 19 in parliament, with only the PS voting in favor.
In the message accompanying the return of the diploma to parliament, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expresses a “serene negative judgment” on the measures and criticizes the lack of party consensus.
“It’s not easy to see where the promised supply of housing will come from effectively and quickly,” he said, adding that the proposal “is not credible enough” in terms of short-term implementation, nor does it result from the “national support base that was needed”.
In Poland, where he is on an official visit, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa pointed out that this was a political veto and not a constitutional one, taking issue with the choices made by the government and the PS parliamentary majority in this process.
The Socialists have already announced that they will confirm the approval of Mais Habitação at the start of the next legislative session.