In brief
On Friday, 23 October, Benjamim Pereira issued a written statement accepting he was not fortunate in the expressions he used about remarks made on Thursday, 22 October, while saying he still gives his best.
Pereira told journalists on Friday, 23 October, that it was a lie he had sent young people abroad, and his statement says he never referred to emigration.
The remarks led minister Miguel Pinto Luz to ask Pereira for explanations, which preceded the written clarification issued on Friday, 23 October.
Pereira pointed to public guarantees, IMT and Stamp Duty exemptions, the IRS Jovem tax regime, and 31,700 dwellings reached under the PRR.
- 22 OctPereira questions whether today's society would accept the sacrifices earlier generations made for housing
- 23 OctPereira issues a written statement accepting that his wording was not fortunate
Remarks that prompted the backlash
Benjamim Pereira, president of the Institute for Housing and Urban Rehabilitation (IHRU), made remarks on Thursday, 22 October, questioning whether society today is willing to make the sacrifices earlier generations made to secure housing. The remarks led minister Miguel Pinto Luz to ask for explanations. Expresso reported that the comments questioned whether young people were available to make sacrifices like those of earlier generations in order to obtain housing.
Written clarification on Friday
On Friday, 23 October, Pereira issued a statement accepting that he was not fortunate in the words he chose, while insisting he had no intention and no nostalgia for past hardship. He said he had drawn a parallel with the past, using a personal example to show that housing has long been a problem in Portugal and that Portuguese people have sacrificed greatly to own a home. He said he noted that sacrifice with sadness rather than nostalgia.
“Although without any intention, I accept that I was not fortunate in all the expressions I used, but I believe in what I am doing.”
In the same statement, he argued that the young people of today cannot be asked to make the sacrifices of the past.
“The young people of today cannot be asked for the sacrifices of the past.”
Denial of any call to emigrate
On Friday, 23 October, Pereira told journalists it was a lie that he had told young people to emigrate. His statement said he never referred to emigration and pointed to his own experience of relatives who had been absent because of the pressures that forced them to leave. He added that the country needs its young people and keeps inviting them to stay, while those who left have been invited to return.
Government housing record
Pereira praised the government's housing policies, citing public guarantees, exemptions from IMT and Stamp Duty, and the IRS Jovem tax regime. He said the institution had exceeded its PRR targets, reaching 31,700 dwellings, which allowed full use of EU community funds for Portugal. He also said the institution's staff had worked exceptionally hard on the housing shortage. His statement said he respects the right to demonstrate and understands the demands of protesters, a point he said the media had not reported.