José Sena Goulão / Lusa
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, during June 10
Portugal is not very polarized and democracy is not at stake. Absence of Gouveia and Melo was not strange.
The President of the Republic, MARCELO REBELO DE SOUSAhe rejected that there is excessive political polarization in Portugal, considering that there are different points of view, but without freedom and democracy.
“O country cannot be said to be very polarized. The polarized Portuguese were, perhaps, when there was the succession of regimes, monarchy and republic, when there was the problem of dictatorship and democracy, ”the head of state told the media in Lagos.
According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in these historical periods, yes, there were “total polarizations”, but the current internal context is not extreme or undermine democracy.
“Now, within democracy, there Several points of viewwithout any of them to question freedom and democracy, we have to admit that It is very good news when we look at the world and there are more dictatorships in the world than democracies“He considered.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke to the media while walking on the Avenida dos Discovimentos, in Lagos, Faro district, at the end of the commemorative military ceremony of DAY OF PORTUGALfrom Camões and the Portuguese communities.
Questioned if it bothered him that a presidential candidate, the previous chief of staff of the Armada, Henrique Gouveia and Melohad had an agenda (it was in the usual ceremony of tribute to the former combatants of the Colonial War in Lisbon) while this ceremony of June 10 was due, the head of state replied that “Candidates have to do for life“.
“So on Portugal day it was strange that there were no or candidates who came to the Portugal Day ceremony or candidates who went to another ceremony, not being able to come here,” he added, alluding to the presence of another presidential candidate, former PSD president Luís Marques Mendes, in Lagos.
Questioned about the colonial past from Portugal, that the writer and advisor of state Lídia Jorge He addressed his speech from June 10, and if he was missing to blame, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa discouraged the subject and even made a reference to the recent victory of the Portuguese soccer team, on Sunday night, against Spain, at.
“We Portuguese, while recognizing the merits, also acknowledged that there are things that have ran badly in our internal life, in our external relationships. It is so, there is no one without defects, it is human to have defects. Now, what is important is to have qualities at fundamental times, and even the other day we have seen, two days ago, we have enough qualities to win,” he said.
Get out “lightly”
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stated that he intends “Getting out of light” From the position of President of the Republic and, when he ceases functions, fails to intervene politically, but go to all official ceremonies as former chief of the state.
In a kind of balance of his mandates, regarding June 10, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa explained how he intends to leave the exercise of office: “Leaving lightly, going out and giving the stage, except where the president has to be president”.
The head of state said that it still will go to ceremonies November 25 at the Assembly of the Republic and the 40th anniversary of European integration and has visits to the foreigner, several of which for celebrations of the 50 years of independence from former Portuguese African countries.
“But taking this, when it has to be the President of the Republic, go out lightly to leave the candidates and candidates autarchic, but above all presidential, The space they must have, ”he added.
Questioned about what his next June 10th will be, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa replied: “Oh, mine is very simple. I say how my life will be from March 9 at noon, there between and midday and one”.
“It will be like this: do not intervene politically, even nothingdo not intervene, do not give interviews, not speak, not comment, do not make articles, do not make conferences about politics, namely Portuguese politics. Second, go to official ceremonies, all unless it cannot, is unable, ”he said.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa promised to be present at the official ceremonies of April 25, June 10 and October 5, among others: “Wherever I go, I will be there.”
Then he highlighted the place that is up to the former presidents of the Republic in the state’s protocol precedent list: “Former chief of state has a place that is usually there before the ministers and before the opposition leader, he walks around, following the presidents of the courts.”
“Therefore, such ceremonies, I will be there, I’m invited, ceremonies of state for the coming of foreign head of state. Final point paragraph, ”he said.
The President of the Republic, who will finish his second term in nine months, on March 9, 2026, even felt a “Turning Page” when .
Marcelo admitted that one might have felt a little thrilled at this time of honor. And also saw a Ramalho Eanes Thrilled: “By decorating it, he I was very excited. I don’t know if I was a little bit too. And by awarding it, I I felt it was a page turning, in fact – which is good“.
