Manuel de Almeida / Lusa
Luís Marques Mendes during the presentation of the Honor Commission of his candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic
“I have experience,” said the candidate. “The President of the Republic is not a referee,” warned Leonor Beleza.
The presidential candidate LUÍS MARQUES MENDES He argued on Tuesday that the position of President of the Republic “must be exercised by those who have the most political experience,” ensuring that “it is not a vote in the unknown or a shot in the dark.”
In the closing discourse of the presentation of the Honor Commission of his candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic, in the UACS building – Union of Trade and Service Associations, Luís Marques Mendes defended the “eminently political” character from the position of President of the Republic.
“Everyone can, of course, apply. This is not what is at stake. But the Portuguese is responsible for evaluating. And from the outset it should be paid. The more political position in the state structure in Portugal must also be exercised by democracy for democracy Who has the most political experience. None of this is corporate. All this is common sense, ”he shot.
Marques Mendes stated that the more than 20 years in public office and more than 10 of television comment allowed voters to know him “very well”, from their political thinking to their defects.
Mendes – who has the main opponents assumed in this electoral disposal and – ensured that a vote in his candidacy “is not even a vote in the unknown, nor a shot in the dark”, but a “Vote in experience”.
The former PSD president argued that his political experience translates into “security, predictability and confidence”, and ensured that his candidacy is a “bet on independence”.
Luís Marques Mendes also stated that he advances to this unconformed candidacy and ambition to change Portugal, adding that “either helps to change the country or the power is for nothing.”
“I know the President of the Republic does not rule. But I also know that it cannot be generally generally places or places. In the new circumstances of the world, Europe and Portugal, the influence of the President of the Republic can not only be the influence of the word. The President of the Republic has to become a one mediator”, defended.
The former PSD leader defended Portugal’s greater ambition in international policy, criticizing the “absolutely unbearable silence” about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and asking for a “firm condemnation” of Israeli attacks.
The presidential candidate said that Portugal stressed that the country is in the European Union, has values and “when the values are despised, silence is absolutely unbearable,” asking for coherence in the position on Israelite attacks in Palestine and the position already taken over Russian attacks in Ukraine.
“There can be no two weights and two measures. Israel has the right to defend itself and respond to the terrorist attack that it was a victim in 2023. But the answer is unjustifiably disproportionate and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is absolutely intolerable. Firm condemnation and concrete action in favor of innocent and unprotected victims need to be,” he said.
Honor Commission
The singer Toy, the presenter António Sala and the former IL Carla Castro militant are three of the more than 100 figures that make up the Honor Commission of the presidential candidacy of Luís Marques Mendes, chaired by Leonor Beleza.
Leonor Beauty, President of the Champalimaud Foundation and advisor of state, he also spoke last night and commented that Marques Mendes as head of state will put the country’s interests above any others, and argued that a president of the Republic “is not a referee.”
“The President of the Republic is not a refereewe are not in football here. It does not have the President of the Republic as an arbitrator who faces differences or competitions between different teams. The President of the Republic is himself an actor. He is an actor of first grandeur, in terms of our constitutional architecture. He doesn’t arbitrate, he participates, ”he said.
Also the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Coins, He spoke to stress that Marques Mendes “was always a voice whose opinion were not without hearing” and argue that he sees in the former social democratic leader the audacity and “the moderation of those who make bridges” and that it considers necessary in a president.
The Honor Commission are several sports figures as Tony, Former player and former soccer coach, the former referees Duarte Gomes e Artur Soares, Carlos Lisboaformer bouquet and the canoist Teresa Portela.
In the area of culture, there are the names of the singer Toy -which in previous elections announced his support to the CDU -the actresses Rita Salema, Sílvia Rizzo and Sofia Grilothe radio presenter António Sala, the actor Carlos Cunha and the writers Alice Vieira and Margarida Rebelo Pinto.
Also several defense figures express their support for Marques Mendes, such as the former heads of the Air Force Staff, the General José Taveira Martins e o general Manuel Rolo, and the former chief of the Armed Forces General Staff, Artur Pina Monteiro.
Of the national policy, are the names of José Gomes Mendes, former secretary of state of the socialist government of António Costa, Carla Castro, former member and candidate for IL’s leadership, the former ministers Luís Mira Amaral, Paula Teixeira da Cruz and José Silva Peneda.
In total there are 108 names, where there are also figures such as the rector of UTAD, Emídio Gomes, the Confager’s president, Idalino Leão, the MEP Lídia Pereira, Nuno Amado, BCP ‘Chairman’, the university professor Raquel Vaz Pinto or the lawyer Agostinho Pereira Miranda.
Manuela Ramalho Eanes
The name that stood out on Tuesday was the Manuela Ramalho Eanes. The wife of António Ramalho Eanes, former President of the Republic, was not at the event for health reasons, but Supports Marques Mendes And left a letter read by Leonor Beauty.
“I decided to support Dr. Luís Marques Mendes, which I admire a lot, in his candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic, not only for the personal qualities I recognize him, namely, as a politician with an ethical dimension, sense of honor and relevant services rendered to the country, but also for the important role he played, for the benefit of clarification of civil society“Explained Manuela Ramalho Eanes.
Manuela Eanes warned that Portugal and the world go through a worrying phase and, therefore, it is necessary “a President with the Republic with deep knowledge Political activity, political actors, partisan political practice and also constitutional practice, so that Portugal is a more solidary and more prosperous country, recognized for its humanism, modernity and affirmation of great values, ”he added.
