Proposals to ‘fix housing crisis’ have been widely criticised
With very few sectors welcoming the government’s proposals to fix Portugal’s housing crisis, prime minister António Costa and housing minister Marina Gonçalves are holding Q&A sessions for Socialist party members in Matosinhos and Lisbon this week.
According to a PS source, the aim is to explain and clarify the doubts of “militants and Socialist sympathisers”.
The first session will be led by António Costa and will take place in Matosinhos, on Tuesday, at 9pm, in the Constantino Nery Municipal Theatre.
Marina Gonçalves will chair the session at the PS national headquarters in Lisbon, on Thursday, starting at 9pm.
In a statement to Lusa, PS deputy secretary-general João Torres said that “suggestions” can be made at these sessions, “that will be evaluated by the executive”.
This is all part of the ‘public discussion’ the government described when the measures were first mooted.
Another part has been the ‘outcry’ in the press from various quarters; comments also from the President.
The document outlining the various proposals is available online, “with the main explanations of each of the measures approved by the Government, in order to facilitate public participation by citizens”, adds Lusa.
In fact, for now the plan is just a plan: a further Council of Ministers on March 16 is due to give proposals final approval, and some will need to be voted on in parliament.
Lusa’s text however refers to only “some of the measures returning to the Council of Ministers for final approval”, thus until March 16 there appear to be no certainties.
Source material: LUSA
