Interventions in the Assembly of the Republic

We present, in the order in which they took place, each of the interventions by the political parties in the Assembly of the Republic on 16 July, during the plenary session about the Quinta dos Ingleses.

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Resolution Proposal: Livre

The first intervention came from Livre. MP Isabel Mendes Lopes stressed the importance of community and the places where it develops and builds bonds. Besides being a space “with biodiversity potential and potential to be a green area where people can meet”, the Quinta dos Ingleses is a space of memory that unites generations. For many years the Quinta has been defended by the local population, and it is now time to turn it into “a public space open to the community, due to its ecological wealth, landscape value, and its historical and cultural significance”.

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Resolution Proposal: PAN

In the second intervention, Inês Sousa Real, speaking for PAN, referred to the community that has been fighting for the preservation of this green space, highlighting the connection to young people and to Carcavelos beach. She also mentioned the 298 animal species that live there. She stressed that the planned construction is “out of step with the commitments Portugal has undertaken, and with the need for green spaces that help prevent sea level rise”. Finally, she underlined “the stubbornness of the municipality”, which jeopardises the quality of life of the community, recalling the 2021 resolution that called for the classification of the Quinta as a Protected Landscape of Local Scope.

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Resolution Proposal: BE

The third intervention came from the Bloco de Esquerda. Mariana Mortágua said that the Quinta dos Ingleses  “is a reference point for generations upon generations”. She spoke of the importance of green spaces in urban areas – for temperature regulation, coastal erosion prevention, and the preservation of fauna and flora, as well as the democratisation of space for everyone’s enjoyment. “We are exchanging the right of the entire population to access a green space, to protect their environment, to safeguard their memory, in exchange for a luxury condominium that will serve a minority, will cause environmental damage, and will not address the housing problem.”

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Resolution Proposal: Chega

The fourth intervention – the last of the formal proposals and preceding the opinions of the other parties – came from Chega. Pedro Pessanha emphasised “the repeated mistake and the courage to correct it”. He described the megaproject and its so-called green space as “a caricature of green compensation that only deceives those who want to be deceived”. He pointed out the lack of transparency from the local authority and the fact that acquired rights are “being used as a smokescreen for shady deals”. He concluded: “The Quinta dos Ingleses is more than just a green space; it is a symbol. The way we handle this case will reflect our seriousness as representatives of the Portuguese people.”

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The fifth intervention – CDS-PP

CDS-PP MP João Almeida dismissed the value of this green space, arguing that it has been abandoned for decades and is largely treeless; that the whole process was handled by municipal bodies; that there were acquired rights; and that bringing the matter to Parliament every four years around election time, when it falls under municipal competence, makes no sense. He said housing use must be reconciled with green space enjoyment to put an end to a process that has dragged on for decades.

Comments on the intervention:

The stance taken by CDS is ironic, coming from an MP who claims to know the area since his youth. If that is true, he should know that the only treeless part was, until 2024, used as a public car park, and that under the current project, this will be drastically reduced. CDS surely also knows (at least at municipal level) of the large-scale destruction of green area already underway.As for the claim that the woods have been abandoned for decades, this is due not only to inaction by Alves Ribeiro, but also to the PSD-CDS executive (in power in Cascais for over 20 years) never having taken steps to require cleaning, maintenance, and restoration, or to use its legal powers to enforce conservation or expropriate the land with due compensation.

Regarding the so-called “acquired rights” (a recurring argument when no action is wanted), the MP is mistaken: actual building rights only came into existence in 2023 with the issuing of urban development licences by Cascais Municipal Council.

As for the timing of the debate, which is close to local elections, this is due to parliamentary delays and the unexpected general election – not the petitioners, who have no control over scheduling.

Finally, although the matter has been through municipal and legal channels, perhaps CDS should explain why it has done nothing locally to reverse the situation, and why it abstained in the 2021 Resolution and voted against the 2025 proposals. Do the over 11,000 signatures not represent massive public rejection of a project that destroys a vital green area to pour concrete over a much-needed lung for Cascais’s quality of life, biodiversity, beach preservation, and climate change mitigation? What is CDS’s local position for the next four years? Does it really think luxury housing, office towers, and massive retail spaces are compatible with public enjoyment of that green lung?

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The sixth intervention – PCP

Alfredo Maia, from the Communist Party, began by greeting the thousands of petitioners and all those who have defended the Quinta for decades. He explained that the PCP did not present a resolution proposal because the 2021 Assembly Resolution remains unfulfilled, due to the inaction of successive governments (PS and PSD-CDS). He reiterated the need for the Quinta to be classified as a locally protected area and revealed that the party has already questioned the Environment and Energy Minister on the matter.

Comments on the intervention:

Indeed, the 2021 Resolution remains entirely valid and in force. The Environment Minister and the Government continue to remain silent, failing even to respond to urgent meeting requests from SOS Quinta dos Ingleses.

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The seventh intervention – JPP

Filipe Sousa stressed the importance of preserving the Quinta, one of the last green spaces along the Lisbon–Cascais coastline. He warned of the mistake its destruction represents, both for the local community and in terms of flooding, coastal erosion, and environmental degradation risks. He recalled the 2021 parliamentary Resolution recommending its preservation, and criticised the way the process has unfolded: without dialogue, without transparency, and with judicial investigations ongoing. He reaffirmed JPP’s support for a balanced development model that upholds both environmental and legal principles – calling for the immediate suspension of the construction project, an independent environmental assessment, and the creation of mechanisms to allow municipalities to protect green areas of high community value.

Comments on the intervention:

SOS Quinta dos Ingleses fully agrees with this position.

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The eighth intervention – IL

Jorge Teixeira argued that, although petitioners are legitimate, the issue does not fall under the Assembly’s competence. Since the process was approved by Cascais Council and other bodies, IL opposed all resolution proposals, claiming it would be an affront to the rule of law if Parliament were to expropriate legally approved projects.

Comments on the intervention:

IL’s stance is regrettable. The party forgets that in 2021 it supported a Resolution that was approved and remains valid. It also overlooks the fact that, although the process was handled poorly by the Council and approved, this does not make it beneficial for the country or the local population, who overwhelmingly reject it. This second petition actually gathered even more signatures than the first. The Assembly has powers to approve resolutions, which is not a breach of the rule of law. Moreover, none of the proposals foresaw expropriation. SOS Quinta dos Ingleses will wait to see IL’s position at the municipal level.

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The ninth intervention – PS

Miguel Costa Matos said that the fight against the “absurd urbanisation of the Quinta” is a fight “for our land”. He acknowledged “acquired rights” going back decades, but stressed that does not mean the project is suitable today, given the current urban pressure. He recalled that the PS has opposed this project for the past twenty years: “It’s too much concrete; it will mean too much traffic; and it will create property speculation. The pinhal dos Ingleses will be lost, and who knows what else from the beach.” He added that, since national-level classification is not legally possible, the PS proposed (and saw approved in 2021) the Resolution for local landscape protection, which Cascais Council refused to enforce.Since the project now has licences and is underway, he said the Assembly cannot go further. Instead, the PS would try to “persuade” the Council and developer to reduce the number of trees felled and, if possible, the amount of concrete.

Comments on the intervention:

SOS Quinta dos Ingleses regrets that PS, one of the largest parliamentary groups, did not, as in 2021, seek a consensus with the opposition to approve a new Resolution. Its effectiveness will be judged in the coming local elections. So far, however, no results of PS’s proposed “persuasion” are visible.

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The tenth intervention – PSD

Hugo Oliveira began by recognising the Quinta’s importance, saying that “although in an urban setting, it is undeniably an area of natural and landscape value, with symbolic meaning for the local community”, and therefore causes “concern and even opposition”. Nevertheless, he argued the issue should be treated with “calm, respect for institutions, and rigour”. He pointed to the Public Prosecutor’s dismissal of a complaint and a recent Administrative Court ruling, which, he claimed, confirmed the project’s legality and “acquired development rights” that cannot be ignored. He stressed respect for local autonomy: “Any decision to suspend or revise the plan must come from the municipality, which knows the territory best.” If the Council does so, the Government should support it, but Parliament cannot impose decisions from above. PSD, he said, is “willing to dialogue, to build bridges, to find balanced solutions, but never at the cost of legal certainty, local autonomy, or State financial responsibility”. He ended by accusing opponents of inconsistency: “one moment demanding more housing, then the next rejecting it.”

Comments on the intervention:

PSD forgets several things:

1. The recent court ruling did not rule on legality or acquired rights.

2. The Prosecutor’s dismissal concerned a 2014 complaint, predating approval of the plan.

3. The Council has done nothing to protect the Quinta or suspend/revise the plan.

4. It ignored the previous parliamentary Resolution, and PSD has been silent on that.

5. No dialogue, bridge-building, or balanced solutions have come from PSD.

6. The housing planned will not solve any shortage but worsen speculation and gentrification.
   

So: what “balanced solution” does PSD propose? Will it suspend or revise the plan, given it admitted the Quinta’s symbolic natural value? Or will it keep defending destruction under the guise of local autonomy? Will candidate Piteira Lopes break with Carlos Carreiras’s stance, or is it “more of the same”? One thing is certain: if PSD does not act, the destruction of this area will carry its signature. Carcavelos and Cascais will not forget.