Yesterday’s presidential race winner António José Seguro met with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa today, for a meeting expected to last around an hour. Scheduled for 4.00 pm, the presidential candidate who secured a firm victory over his Chega counterpart arrived four minutes early, and was received by the outgoing President in the Sala das Bicas, with a warm greeting.
Marcelo congratulated him in person on his result, having already done so by telephone on Sunday night. Seguro travelled directly from Caldas da Rainha, where he spent election night, to the presidential Belém Palace, which he will occupy from 9th March. He made the journey in his own vehicle, with a driver, as has been customary, not yet, therefore, in the official presidential car.
According to information obtained by national newspaper DN, the response to communities affected by storms Kristin and Leonardo were among Seguro’s top priorities at the meeting with President Marcelo. The former Socialist Party (PS) secretary-general is also keen to assess what coordination has already taken place between the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic. Other pressing matters, such as Health and Defence, were also discussed at the meeting, which was announced by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as soon as projections pointed clearly to Seguro’s victory.
It should be recalled that, during the final months of the campaign, Seguro refrained from strong criticism of the Head of State, limiting himself to pointing out what he described as excessive dissolutions of Parliament and promising “stability” to counter “short political cycles”.
On Sunday night, he pledged to adopt a different presidential style. “I acknowledge Marcelo’s work in the service of our country, as I do that of all previous Presidents, but I will serve Portugal with the same sense of duty and with my own style. I am free, I live without constraints. I said so in June at my launch and repeated it for many months. That is how I will act. My freedom is the guarantee of my independence,” he stressed.
Earlier in the day, Seguro closely followed developments across the country and expressed regret at the 16th fatality resulting from the severe weather that has affected Portugal in recent weeks.
Despite emphasising cooperation, Seguro issued clear warnings to the Government. The state of emergency Portugal has experienced, he said, will be subject to close oversight from 9th March, when he officially takes the reins. “The solidarity shown by the Portuguese was heroic, but it is not enough. I will not accept delays in support; the necessary €2.5 billion must be delivered immediately. I will not forget them, I will not abandon them. That support has to arrive now. The response to pain is not shouting, it is work. We need a prepared country, not one that improvises in the face of atmospheric phenomena that will become more frequent,” he warned.
He added: “Together with the Government and political parties, I will seek commitments to long-term public policies focused on solutions. Politics must serve to solve people’s problems, or it serves no purpose at all. And I will be demanding.”
Pledging to respect Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s role until the inauguration, Seguro said that “within the framework of the transition, I will do everything I can to help ensure that support reaches people quickly”. Looking ahead, he announced that the first meeting of the Council of State would focus on “Defence and Security, including crime and the protection of people and property”.
“The State must respond more quickly to catastrophes and prevent their consequences. We can all help mitigate this situation. The State cannot shirk its responsibilities,” he reiterated. He downplayed a question about whether he would serve only one term as President, instead repeating his desire to “raise the standard of public debate” and admitting that while he had asked for trust, he “did not expect to achieve a victory of this magnitude”.
Asked about his wife, Margarida, he replied with humour: “I hope I don’t lose her during the term [laughs]. I will respect her decisions. I know I can count on Margarida whenever the demands of the State require it. She is an entrepreneur and has her own life, and I respect that,” he said, dismissing the idea that his wife must assume a formal role as First Lady. The audience reacted by chanting Margarida’s name.
On defence policy, Seguro stressed that he is a “committed Europeanist”, assuring that he will do everything possible to ensure Portugal’s integration into European strategic autonomy.
As for any boost the Socialist Party might gain from his victory, Seguro played it down. “The life of the PS belongs to the leader of the PS. I am proud of my past and my roots; I have never hidden them. But I have had no party activity for 11 years. As for handing in my party card, it is a symbolic gesture that others have made. Even when I was active in party politics, I assumed independence. That is what I will do now. I am above the parties,” he concluded.
Source: LUSA / DN
