Ana Rita Gil and Nuno Piçarra 4. Current political debates and reform plans Since the entry into force of the new legislation, concerns about access to citizenship and citizenship rights were again discussed by the political parties in 2008. First, at the end of 2008 the Centre Social Democratic-Popular Party (CDS-PP) presented a new bill to amend the Nationality Act.109 Its main objective was to add two more requirements for naturalisation (namely, knowledge about fundamental values of the Portuguese society and sufficient means of subsistence). The CDS-PP also proposed that the crimes precluding the acquisition of nationality after birth should comprise those which carried a prison sentence of one year or more (instead of the current three years).110 Furthermore, the party proposed the suspension of the acquisition procedure during a pending criminal procedure in which the applicant was a suspect, regardless of the penalty foreseen by the law. This bill was not approved by the parliament.111 Second, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) presented a bill concerning the citizenship rights of expatriates.112 One of the suggestions was to allow the acquisition of Portuguese citizenship by the grandchildren of expatriates through a simple expression of intent. The other political parties claimed that this arrangement was already possible through naturalisation. Allowing such an acquisition through a declaration would open access to Portuguese citizenship to those who had no effective link to Portugal.113 It would also widen the political, educational and cultural rights of expatriates. This bill was also not approved. Also in 2008, another debate took place in the political arena concerning the citizenship rights of expatriates. The President of the Republic exercised his right of veto regarding an amendment to the electoral law of the parliament.114 This amendment would have imposed a vote in person for Portuguese voters residing abroad, who previously could vote by correspondence. The president decided not to promulgate this law, since it would violate national imperatives for reinforcing the ties between the country and its citizens residing abroad, erode the citizenship rights of the expatriates, and promote the abstention from civic participation of the Portuguese community.115 In a study published in 2011 by the Observatory on Immigration, Claire Healey raised some questions that might characterise the future debates on the citizenship policy. She stresses that Portugal must develop naturalisation campaigns and attract foreigners for acquiring the Portuguese citizenship, especially the nationals of other European member sates, whose naturalisation rate is still very low. Moreover, she suggests some topics of reflexion, such as the reinforcement of the ius soli principle for the second generation of immigrants, the automatic transfer of citizenship to spouses and minor children and the creation of a subjective right to naturalisation by those who reside in Portugal for over ten years, even if illegally. Nevertheless, it seems that the debates that take place in the political arena still focus mainly on reinforcing ties with the communities of Portuguese expatriates. Regarding the 109 Bill n. 592/X (4.ª), 2 October 2008. The objective was to adjust the Nationality Act in accordance with the immigration law. According to the latter, if the applicant has been convicted for a crime which carries a prison sentence of one year or more, then he or she can not acquire a permanent residence permit (art. 80(1)(b) of Law 23/2007 of 4 July). 111 Parliamentary Debates, Diary of the Assembly of the Republic 25, 2008: 35. For more details, see Carvalhais 2010: 21. 112 Bill n. 482/X (3.ª) (Framework Law of the Portuguese Citizenship abroad). 113 Parliamentary Debates, Diary of the Assembly of the Republic 70, 2008: 41. 114 Decree n. 261/X of the Assembly of the Republic. 115 Message of the President of the Republic, Diary of the Assembly of the Republic – II Series A 65, 2009: 2 110 36 RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2020/1- © 2020 Author