Housing. PAN says that “no camping” of parties for agreement

A pAN spokesperson argued today that “there is no need to call a camp” among all parties to reach consensus in housing and asked the government to change the new rent law.

The PAN was the second party with parliamentary seat to be received today at the Palace of Belém by the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, in a series of hearings on social cohesion, on which the head of state included housing.

Inês de Sousa Real argued that “this is not a moment of polarization or of trying to have electoral dividends”, asking that the budget discussion should not be a “lost opportunity” and respond to the “recall on the streets of thousands of people who have protested for the right to housing”.

“ For the PAN it makes no sense that a policy as important as housing, health or education cannot resist and be made in agreement with the various political forces that are in Parliament and realize that for the Portuguese it is indifferent whether these policies are left-wing or right-wing”, he emphasized, insisting on the call for more consensus and less “radicalisms”.

“ I believe that there is no need to call a camp among all political forces to reach a consensus”, he said.

Asked about which solutions for housing can be agreed, the PAN's only Member identified the placing on the market of the “10,000 houses identified by the State ready to live”, the increase in deductions in the IRS with rents or the possibility of deducting housing expenses such as housing credit.

Sousa Real also defended the increase in IMI exemption from three to five years, the combination of tax benefits for landlords and tenants and more construction.

Regarding the new rent law proposed by the Government, the leader of the PAN considered that this is the time for the government to comply with what it has already said, showing willingness to dialogue with the parties and wants “stability to govern”.

“The Prime Minister will have to make a clear choice for the country, he will have to choose if he wants to continue feeding, in this case, the fracture, whether he will want to continue feeding trenches or whether he will want to dialogue with the political forces of the opposition,” he said.

The PAN Member regretted the lack of dialogue of this Government, stating that she takes a stand against other executives “where it was possible to dialogue in a closer manner”.

“It is not ruling away from the opposition parties that will achieve the stability that the country needs right now,” he criticized.

António José Seguro still receives in Belém the CDS-PP, BE, PCP, Livre, IL, PS, Aça and PSD.

These hearings were convened on Wednesday last week, two days after the head of state called for an understanding between the PSD/CDS-PP Government and opposition parties to take urgent and other lasting measures in the area of housing.