The Housing Minister responded this Monday to the President’s veto on the government’s main response to the current crisis in the sector by maintaining the government’s position on the balance of the More Housing program.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a factory visit in Almada (Setubal district), Marina Gonçalves noted that the government’s proposal is “ripe” and takes into account different opinions.
“For us, the diploma and its various proposals are important,” he stressed, expressing respect for the political veto of Marcelo Rebel de Souza, known this Monday.
“The Parliament has already expressed its opinion,” the minister recalled, stressing that this proposal “meets the needs” of the people.
The minister assured that “structural policy is being implemented” and stressed that with the “More Housing” package, the government intends to “complement this structural response with more immediate measures.”
Marina Gonçalves downplayed the veto and political “differences”, preferring to single out as a “positive note” the president, who did not raise doubts about the constitutionality and legitimacy of the diploma.
The President of the Republic this Monday vetoed a decree consolidating major amendments to housing law – with changes in terms of rent, licensing or local accommodation – approved on July 19 in parliament only by a positive vote from PS.
In a message accompanying the return of the diploma to Parliament, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza expresses a “calm negative judgment” about the measures and criticizes the lack of party consensus.
“It is not easy to see where the promised housing supply for housing will come from efficiently and quickly,” he said, adding that the offer is “not credible enough” in terms of short-term execution, nor is it the result of “a national foothold that was needed.”
In Poland, where he is on an official visit, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza emphasized that this is a political veto, not a constitutional one, suggesting disagreement with the options of the government and the parliamentary majority of the PS in this process.
The Socialists have already announced that they will confirm the approval of the Mais Habitação at the beginning of the next legislative session.