Portuguese parliament changes date of Lula’s speech after reaction from right-wing parties

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will speak at the Portuguese Parliament during his visit to the country, but not at the session dedicated to the 49th anniversary of April 25th, after the controversy generated by the invitation made by the Portuguese socialist government for this date.

The President of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, announced this Wednesday (1st) in statements to journalists that a “solemn welcome session” will be held for Lula, an initiative that would have generated a “very large consensus” between the parties in the House.

The only party that opposed the Brazilian president’s speech in Parliament was the conservative Chega, as confirmed by its leader, André Ventura.

The session dedicated to Lula, still without a defined date, follows the controversy aroused in Portugal by the invitation that the Executive extended to him to speak at the parliamentary ceremony commemorating the Carnation Revolution, on April 25, 1974, with which he end to almost half a century of the dictatorship of António Salazar. It would be the first time that a foreign head of state had addressed parliament on an anniversary of the revolution.

Although left-wing parties expressed themselves in favor of the invitation, right-wing parties criticized the initiative.

The Social Democratic Party (PSD, the main center-right party) took a stand against the participation of the Brazilian president in the parliamentary celebrations on April 25, while the Liberal Initiative party threatened to leave the Chamber during his speech.

The biggest rejection came from Chega, who considered the invitation an “offense” and a “free provocation”.

The party warned that, even if the speech were made in a session different from that of April 25, it would organize a demonstration at the doors of Parliament against the presence of the Brazilian president.

Lula will make a state visit to Portugal between the 22nd and 25th of April to participate in the Luso-Brazilian summit, which last took place in 2016 and was not resumed during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro.