Bugalho advocates for “serious consideration of legal immigration” and housing in the Charter of Fundamental Rights

During the presentation of the electoral program of the Democratic Alliance, titled “Voice in Europe,” the leaders of the three parties that make up the coalition were present: Luís Montenegro, president of the PSD, Nuno Melo, from CDS-PP, and Gonçalo da Câmara Pereira, from PPM, and the number one militant of PSD, Francisco Pinto Balsemão.

Sebastião Bugalho advocated for “good sense and realism” in European matters and cited the European Migration and Asylum Pact as an example, saying that the EPP contributed to its success.

“But we want more. We want to strengthen the mechanisms of legal immigration in this pact; this is how we can ensure that illegal immigration decreases and is not left to human trafficking networks,” he said.

According to the AD candidate for the European elections on June 9, “only by creating the right mechanisms for legal immigration, strengthening it, and regulating it” can there be guarantees of combating illegal immigration.

“It is impossible to combat illegal immigration without legal immigration being taken seriously, and we will take it seriously,” he pledged.

In an intervention of about 25 minutes, the most direct criticism from the top candidate of the AD to the previous PS governments arrived in the area of housing.

“We know that housing is a national competence of the States, and we also know who failed to execute the PRR in time to respond to this housing crisis at the pace it should have. And we do not forget,” he said.

Nevertheless, he argued that Europe could “flexibilize rules to respond in due time to the housing crisis experienced on the continent,” including launching pilot projects to incentivize the creation of mechanisms that stimulate the market.

“Symbolically, but with the aim of putting into practice solutions that will solve this crisis, I want to announce here that we will defend the elevation of the Right to Housing in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; we will truly universalize this right,” he said, in one of the measures included in the program presented today.

Bugalho also highlighted another measure that is part of the document: “The creation of a single European card – which we suggest calling the ‘plus65’ – that will give quick and privileged access to all European citizens over 65 to public services, airports, transportation infrastructure, museums, shows, or sporting events,” he announced.

The AD program for the elderly also foresees the creation of “a European financial support network for elderly homes and communities.”

“Never again in the 21st century will a European citizen feel ashamed to see homes on television. We will work for this in the next five years,” he said.