In statements to journalists after visiting the exhibition "A Century of Portugal: Portuguese Confederation of Culture, Recreation and Sports Collectives", in Lisbon, Paulo Raimundo was asked whether Portugal should move forward with the recognition of Palestine, after Spain, Ireland and Norway announced today that they will do so.

In his response, the PCP leader argued that the Portuguese people want this recognition to be made quickly and recalled that the PCP has already submitted draft resolutions with this objective in 2011, last year and at the beginning of this legislature.

"The Government persists in, just as the PS did, hiding behind an excuse that is losing a bit of strength. The excuse was: 'we want a solution in the EU, because what gives strength to this is a solution in the EU'. But the EU countries are recognising one at a time," he said.

For Paulo Raimundo, this shows that Portugal has "no reason to continue waiting for the EU".

"What we need is, with our step of recognising the State of Palestine, to pressure the rest of the EU countries to do the same. Waiting for someone to decide about this, I don't think is the right path," he argued.

The PCP secretary-general reiterated that "the Portuguese people want to recognise the State of Palestine quickly, once and for all".

"The Government doesn't seem to be very focused on that, but it is one of those things that, ultimately, pressured by the people, it has to decide. Otherwise, it will be isolated," he warned.

In these statements to journalists, Paulo Raimundo was also asked if he agrees with the proposal of the President of the Assembly of the Republic to revise the Parliament's Standing Orders and introduce the figure of a vote of repudiation in the face of insults or slander.

In his response, the communist leader considered that José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, "voluntarily or involuntarily, let himself be dragged into a problem and is now looking for solutions".

Paulo Raimundo considered that the main issue is not the Standing Orders, since the Constitution that "all deputies swore to comply with and enforce" - is clear and leaves no room for "major doubts" regarding xenophobic and racist discourse.

"If clarification of one or another procedure is needed, I don't rule it out from the start, but that is not the central issue," he said.

When asked if the PCP also experienced insults from the Chega bench, after the complaint made by PS deputy Isabel Moreira, Paulo Raimundo replied that everyone in parliament "understands perfectly that the environment is sometimes a bit rough, without restraint".

"I haven't been there for long - I don't have years and years of experience of this coexistence - but for someone who has been there for a short time, I have already noticed that it is a bit over the top," he said.

However, the PCP secretary-general said that, despite these episodes being worrying and important, he does not want to give them attention that diverts "from the fundamental", namely wages, pensions, the NHS and "the concrete problems of people's lives".

Paulo Raimundo was also asked about a poll on the European elections released this Tuesday by RTP, but declined to comment.

"I and the polls have a difficult relationship: I rarely talk about them, and they rarely talk about me," he joked.

A source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Lusa today that Portugal maintains its willingness to recognise Palestine as a State, but is trying to obtain the greatest possible consensus among EU members.

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