The controversy involving the President of the Assembly of the Republic (AR), José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, broke out on Friday, but continues to cause debate and attract criticism. 

It all began when the President of the AR argued that he does not censor the parties and that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, after the benches protested against the statements made by André Ventura, who claimed that the Turks "are not exactly known for being the most hard-working people in the world".

José Pedro Aguiar-Branco considered that "democratic debate is about each one being able to express themselves exactly as they wish to" and his reaction immediately drew criticism, which you can read about here. Even so, various figures and parties continue to comment on José Pedro Aguiar-Branco's controversial position. 

The Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), Pedro Nuno Santos, considered that we cannot allow "children in schools to start thinking that there are different children who are the children of parents who are lazier".

"The President of the Assembly of the Republic has a supreme responsibility. And let no one hide behind freedom of expression, which was one of the greatest achievements of April, in order to offend, belittle, discriminate and promote racist discourse", stated Pedro Nuno Santos.

Mariana Mortágua, coordinator of the Left Bloc (BE), expressed her "disappointment, but also concern", as she believes that Aguiar-Branco "legitimised racist discourse". "To say that one race is inferior, that one skin colour is inferior, that one person, just because they are Turkish, is lazy, is not an opinion, it is racism, it is a crime, it is a hate crime, and it then justifies all the horrors that have been happening", she said. 

"It never crossed my mind that the President of the Assembly of the Republic, a lawyer, who knows the law, a man who claims to be a democrat, would legitimise the discourse of the far right in this way", criticised Mortágua.

The leader of Livre, Rui Tavares, accused the President of the AR of seeing parliament as "a mere arena where anything can be said" and of having given "carte blanche to insulting and injurious speeches". "I believe that the President of the Assembly of the Republic did not assume his position and, therefore, thinks that the Assembly of the Republic is a mere arena where anything can be said", he accused.

Rui Tavares also said that "it is not about cutting someone off or censoring anyone. It is about the President of Parliament assuming, as the second figure of the State, that he distances himself from and condemns certain speeches. By not doing so, he becomes complicit with them". 

The spokesperson for PAN, Inês Sousa Real, argued that the President of the Assembly of the Republic should retract, clarify his "unfortunate words" and guarantee that "he is committed to human rights". In the view of the PAN leader, freedom of expression "cannot be a yardstick for everything, it cannot be an umbrella under which forms of harassment or aggression can fit".

The Secretary-General of the PCP, Paulo Raimundo, also commented on the controversy by stating that the problem with freedom of expression is not knowing what its limits are.

"I will now arrive at the plenary session next Wednesday, ask to speak and say whatever I want, without limits. It does not seem like a good path", stated Paulo Raimundo, emphasising that the MPs "had to swear to comply with and enforce the Constitution of the Republic" and that this "is very clear".

The President of the Liberal Initiative (IL), Rui Rocha, guaranteed that the party will be available to fight for freedom of expression in the Assembly of the Republic.

"I heard what was said in the plenary session by the leader of the PSD bench [Hugo Soares], who said that he did not fully agree with the position of his, well, bench colleague, and now President of the Assembly of the Republic [José Pedro Aguiar-Branco], so I want to say that if the PSD is not available to fight for freedom of expression in the Assembly of the Republic, we are here", he said in a restaurant in Miragaia, in Porto.

The head of the AD list for the European elections, Sebastião Bugalho, considered that it is difficult to strike a balance between the freedom of expression of MPs and respect for minorities and rights and also argued that each president manages the issue with common sense.

João Cotrim Figueiredo, head of the IL list for the European elections, guaranteed that within the law people can "say whatever nonsense they want", calling for coherence in the debate on freedom of expression.

It is worth remembering that the PS proposed taking to the conference of parliamentary leaders how to reconcile freedom of expression in Parliament with "red lines" such as "hate speech" or racism, which Aguiar-Branco agreed with.

Also read: Benches contest Ventura's intervention, but Aguiar-Branco lets it pass (Portuguese version)