Constitutional revision 'not a priority', says Portuguese PM

Euronews

3 days ago

Portugal's newly reappointed Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has ruled out constitutional reform in the near future, something demanded by the far-right Chega party which finished second in the country's elections earlier this month.
On Thursday, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa confirmed Montenegro as the leader of Portugal's 25th government, following the end of the vote counting process.
Montenegro's Democratic Alliance (AD) won 91 seats, while Chega came second with 60 and the Socialist Party (PS) finished third with 58.
"The appointment and inauguration of the government will take place after the publication of the final election results and the constitutive meeting of the new legislature of the Assembly of the Republic," the president said in a statement.
Speaking shortly after his appointment, Montenegro said he would dedicate himself in the coming days to forming a minority government.
The prime minister, who also led the last government, confirmed that constitutional revision "is not a government priority".
"Later on, we'll be able to discuss this issue. We're not going to do it any time soon and so we're not prepared to entertain that discussion," he told journalists.
Instead, his new government would focus on plans to grow the economy, improve public services and transform the national health service, he said.
Speaking to the media after meeting with the president, both Carlos César, from the PS, and André Ventura, from Chega, guaranteed that they would make an AD government viable.
César noted that "the will of the people must be respected", while Ventura said he "will not support a motion to reject the government's programme".
Montenegro's appointment came after the final results of the parliamentary elections were released late on Wednesday, once the votes cast by Portuguese citizens abroad had been counted.
By finishing second, Chega upset the traditional dominance of the centre-right and the centre-left in Portuguese politics.
French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin announced on Thursday that a new smoking ban in outdoor public spaces where children are present will come into force from 1 July.
Speaking to French newspaper Ouest France, Vautin said, "wherever there are children, smoking must disappear", adding that "a smoke-free generation is possible, and it starts now."
A breach of the ban — which is part of France's wider National Tobacco Control Programme, announced in November 2023 — could be punishable with a €135 fine.
In practice, smoking cigarettes will be outlawed in a range of public places — including beaches, parks, gardens, sports facilities, but also bus shelters and areas surrounding schools.
Although the ban will not apply to the terraces of cafes and bars, France's health minister refused to rule out future similar bans in these spaces.
Under the plan, electronic cigarettes will still be permitted in these spaces, but Vautrin emphasised that the government wanted to "lower the permitted nicotine content" in these devices, as well as reduce the variety of flavours available on the market by mid-2026.
The detailed remit of the ban, which is being decided upon with France's Council of State (Conseil d'État) — the French advisory body tasked with advising the government on prospective bills and decrees — has not yet been revealed.
The French Health Minister said the government was counting on"elected representatives to implement (the ban) pragmatically."
The French government has made tackling the number of deaths caused by smoking one of its key missions. Every year, 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications in France.
In 2023, France's National Tobacco Control Programme set out to develop 26 measures — which included raising the price of tobacco, introducing plain packaging and banning the sale of vaping products — in a bid to reduce smoking-related deaths.
According to a survey conducted by NGO "La Ligue contre le cancer", nearly eight out of 10 of those questioned were in favour of a ban, while 83% backed similar legislation for electronic cigarettes.
The measures unveiled by France follow Thursday's announcement from the Spanish government, revealing its plans to ban smoking in a wide range of places — including bar and restaurant terraces, university campuses, vehicles used for work purposes and outdoor sporting events.