These statements were made in a joint interview with TSF and Jornal de Notícias, in which Jorge Miranda begins by categorizing the decision to start the constitutional review process now as “unfortunate”, “when there are so many problems that the country is facing”.
With regard to the proposals presented, al-Dostourist specifically referred to the Public Security Directorate, which plans to increase the term of office of the President of the Republic to seven years, pretending that he is “in complete disagreement.”
For Jorge Miranda, this possibility, along with an increase in the power of proportional representation, “could mean questioning the semi-presidential system or the rational parliamentary system, enshrined in the 1982 Constitutional Review.”
He explained that “a very long public relations mandate was what was in the 1933 constitution, and only in constitutions in the dictatorial sense were the public relations mandates so long.”
Noting that the currently elected vice president is elected for a five-year term and can only be re-elected once, Jorge Miranda argued for the importance of giving voters the possibility to pass judgment on the manner in which the attorney general exercised power in the first term.
He added that “acknowledging re-election after a reasonable period of time is more democratic than specifying seven years without the possibility of citizens expressing any opinion or vision.”
The constitutionalist also touched on increasing the powers of public relations, which many projects called for, considering it “extremely dangerous,” and defended the current definition of public relations stipulated in the constitution, because it recognizes “a practice in institutional interdependence with parliament and the government” and “ruling over citizens.” voters after a certain number of years.”
“I think the proposal is unacceptable and one of the most dangerous things that has been submitted,” he stressed.
Jorge Miranda was also asked how he views the global growth of populism and far-right movements, admitting to “a lot of anxiety”.
Referring to the arrival of the extreme right to power, or approaching it, in many European countries, the constitutionalist stated that the democratic system may be at stake, and warned that the courts should be “attentive”.
Especially the Constitutional Court. A serious problem is the lack of common choice among the judges of the Constitutional Court. There are one or two judges who have expired and who was supposed to succeed have not been chosen. I think this is dangerous.”
Noting that it was Chiga who initiated the constitutional amendment, Jorge Miranda considered that there was no need for the PSD and PS to submit projects to follow, and that they should leave Chiga to “speak on its own”.
Above all, unacceptable motions, life imprisonment, non-restriction of the sanctity of the home, and the abolition of material restrictions for constitutional review are sufficient. There is only one suggestion from Chega that I think is favorable, and it is in terms of evaluating the Portuguese language. The rest is very dangerous. And I say again, what the other democratic parties should do is sit idly by, and let Shiga submit the projects.”
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