Socialist Pedro Delgado Alves considered today that the Government “should have been more cautious and taken fewer risks” in the Nationality Law, after the Constitutional Court (TC) declared several rules in the diplomas approved by parliament unconstitutional.
In statements to News Diarythe socialist highlighted that five of the eight norms whose constitutionality raised doubts in the PS were considered unconstitutional by the TC, which, in his opinion, highlights deep problems in the executive’s legislative initiative.
Pedro Delgado Alves highlighted in particular the rule that introduced loss of nationality as an additional penalty for serious crimes in the Penal Code. This solution calls into question the principle of equality, as highlighted by the TC advisors, by creating differentiated treatment between citizens.
According to the deputy, it is “a law that is structurally problematic”, a flaw that was “significantly highlighted” in the Constitutional Court rulings.
The TC approved two rulings today, following requests for preventive inspection of constitutionality presented by 50 PS deputies, on November 19th. In the public reading of the decisions, at Palácio Ratton, in Lisbon, it was announced that there was unanimity regarding three of the four norms of the decree that revises the Nationality Law declared unconstitutional, as well as regarding the norms of the diploma that created the loss of nationality as an additional penalty.
The two diplomas originated from a law proposal from the PSD/CDS-PP Government and were approved by parliament on October 28, with 157 votes in favor, from PSD, Chega, Initiative Liberal, CDS-PP and JPP, and 64 votes against, from PS, Livre, PCP, BE and PAN.