"I think the balance between the freedom of speech of deputies and respect for minorities and rights is a difficult balance and each president of each chamber does so using their common sense," Sebastião Bugalho told journalists at the end of a campaign lunch with activists in Ponte de Lima, district of Viana do Castelo. The head of the Democratic Alliance list, a coalition that brings together PSD, CDS-PP and PPM, was questioned about the fact that the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, refused to censor and limit the freedom of speech of deputies, after the leader of Chega said that "the Turks are not exactly known for being the most hard-working people in the world". When asked by journalists what he would do in Aguiar-Branco's place, Bugalho noted that "the people who will hear about this at home will certainly laugh because, at 28 years old, I will certainly not be the second figure in the State". Bugalho began by telling journalists that "whenever someone crosses the barrier of human rights, whenever someone falls short of what is expected of Portuguese democracy in terms of rights", the AD candidacy does not remain "silent". "Every time the right of a minority, of someone persecuted, that a human right was placed at home in this campaign for the European elections, we were the first to distance ourselves and condemn it," he stressed. The President of the Assembly of the Republic defended on Friday that it is not up to him to censor the positions or opinions of deputies, referring to the Public Prosecutor's Office for any criminal liability of the parliamentary speech. In response to questions from journalists, Aguiar-Branco rejected that he had made a mistake by allowing the leader of Chega, André Ventura, to continue his speech, after saying that "the Turks are not exactly known for being the most hard-working people in the world". "I don't think I make a mistake whenever I allow freedom of speech (...). If a crime is committed in the responsible or irresponsible exercise of freedom of speech, the Public Prosecutor's Office has the conditions to initiate a criminal action, any citizen can make the respective complaint and can request that parliamentary immunity be lifted", he said. Aguiar-Branco defended that the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Republic "are very clear" and when speaking and insulting or defaming "it has to do with injury and defamation that is practiced in relation to another deputy". "It was unacceptable that a deputy could insult another deputy," he said, challenging the parties to review the Rules of Procedure if they have another understanding and warning that "everyone has glass roofs". "If there are those who understand that the Rules of Procedure should be changed, even in the sense that the President of the Assembly [of the Republic] has the power to censor, let them do so, let them propose it," he said. The President of the Parliament recalled that the current Assembly of the Republic is the "expression of the popular will of the Portuguese people" and considered that, when voters go to the polls again, they will evaluate "the way their representatives act" in Parliament. Read Also: "Turks" by Ventura give a ticket for "red line" to PAR. What is said? (Portuguese version)