At the end of the sectorial debate with minister Miguel Pinto Luz, the parliamentary leader of the PS, Alexandra Leitão, made an interpellation to the Parliament's Bureau to refer to the incident registered minutes before, when the leader of Chega said that the turks "were not known for being the most hardworking people in the world", and the president of the Assembly of the Republic refused to censure the freedom of expression of any deputy.

The PS deputy said that, according to the Assembly of the Republic's Rules of Procedure, the president of the parliament must warn the speaker when he "deviates from the subject under discussion or when the speech becomes injurious or offensive, and may withdraw his word".

"We know that freedom of expression is a fundamental principle, which must be compatible with others, such as good name, or the dignity of any person, race or ethnicity", she defended.

Stressing that there is a crime in the Penal Code on hate speech, Alexandra Leitão considered that in today's debate there was "a serious precedent" and announced that she would take the matter to the leaders' conference.

"The deputies enjoy, and very well, immunity for what they say here, which should give them greater responsibility. It must be, with due respect, the President to ensure that all the red lines are not crossed", she defended, receiving applause from the entire left and PAN.

Aguiar-Branco agreed to deal with the issue at the parliamentary leaders' conference, but said that "in the richness of democracy and law" he may think differently.

"My red lines are never between having or not having freedom of expression. The democratic judgment will be made by the Portuguese people, that is my understanding", he said.

The president of Chega, André Ventura, accused the PS of "not losing the old habits" of when Augusto Santos Silva was president of the Assembly, who he considered had not been elected for "attitudes like that".

"I believe that I did not make any racist or xenophobic statement (...) If the Public Prosecutor's Office in Lisbon understands that what I did here was a racist act, no immunity is needed, I will go there on my own foot", he said.

The parliamentary leader of the PSD, Hugo Soares, said he did not agree with either Aguiar-Branco's position or that of the left-wing benches - which supported the PS's position - saying that "it is with these episodes that populism gains fuel", but agreed to debate the issue at the next leaders' conference.

"How is it possible that those who wanted to sentence the President of the Republic to ten years in prison for exercising his freedom of expression come to this chamber to invoke freedom of expression to say what they want and how they want", questioned Hugo Soares, in a criticism of Chega applauded by the PS bench.

On the left, the parliamentary leaders of the BE, PCP and Livre and the only deputy of the PAN supported the PS's position, with the blockist Fabian Figueiredo asking for the convening of the leaders' conference "as soon as possible".

"I will not fail to deal with the matter at the leaders' conference and, if I am convinced otherwise, very well, but it will not be the atmosphere of the Assembly that will condition my thinking", warned Aguiar-Branco, at the end of a series of interpellations to the table that took place in a heated atmosphere and with constant interruptions.

The IL was the only party that did not ask for the floor and only the parliamentary leader of the CDS-PP, Paulo Núncio, said he agreed with Aguiar-Branco's view.

"We also do not agree with the hate speech of the left-wing benches when they say that foreigners cannot buy houses in Portugal. In case of doubt, freedom of expression", said Núncio, saying he agreed with the position "of the President of the Republic".

"I think you meant president of the Assembly of the Republic. Don't let there be any media mistake and tomorrow say that I am a candidate for President of the Republic", ironized Aguiar-Branco.

Leia Também: Bancadas contestam intervenção de Ventura, mas Aguiar-Branco deixa passar (Portuguese version)