The PAN (People-Animals-Nature) party in the Lisbon Municipal Assembly has put forward a motion calling for the temporary suspension of property sales to non-residents in

Portugal, except for immigrants with residence permits. The proposal is part of a set of 13 measures aimed at addressing housing issues, and it has sparked a lively debate among lawmakers.

António Morgado Valente, the sole deputy of the PAN party in the Assembly Lisbon Municipal Council (AML), emphasized that housing is a fundamental social right and expressed concern about the affordability of housing in Portugal. The motion argues that factors such as increased tourism, gentrification, low wages, real estate speculation, and rising Euribor rates have driven up property prices, making housing unaffordable for many.

However, the proposal to suspend property sales to non-residents received mixed reactions. IL (Liberal Initiative) deputy Angélique Da Teresa criticized the idea as "completely unacceptable" and warned against promoting xenophobia in property matters. She urged policymakers to focus on increasing housing supply instead.

Carlos Reis from the PSD (Social Democratic Party) questioned the legality of the proposal and suggested that the PAN withdraw it, considering it illegal. In contrast, CDS-PP (Social Democratic Centre - People's Party) deputy Margarida Penedo argued that political will should be taken into account, indicating that there might be room for consideration.

In response to the criticism, the PAN deputy defended the need for exceptional measures in exceptional situations and cited Canada as an example of a country that has taken similar steps to address real estate speculation.

The proposal for a temporary ban on property sales to non-residents will likely continue to generate debate and discussions among policymakers in Lisbon. Photo by LBM1948, Wikimedia commons.