ZAP // André Kosters / Lusa; António José Seguro / Flickr; Depositphotos
Debate between presidential candidates focused on professional experience, balance – and nationality law.
Presidential candidates António José Insurance and John Cotrim de Figueiredo clashed over their professional experience and ability to balance a political system dominated by the right, in a debate in which they differed on matters such as health or work.
In a face-to-face broadcast on , the conversation began with cordiality e compliments: João Cotrim de Figueiredo, supported by IL, began by saying that “it is a particular pleasure” to debate with António José Seguro and recognized that the former PS leader is a candidate who has “qualities of integrity and transparency”.
Seguro, in the opening seconds of his speech, thanked his opponent for his “kind words” and highlighted the “kindness” of Cotrim, who postponed the debate and found a new date when Seguro was ill. “That’s it”, responded João Cotrim de Figueiredo.
Amidst the praise, the candidate supported by IL left a ‘barb’ when he warned: “I think not enoughis a minimum requirement and is not enough. António José Seguro has wanted to say that he is a candidate who aims to be inspiring – and frankly I haven’t seen much of anything – and comprehensive and, if he can’t even do it in the PS, he will hardly be able to do it in the country”, he said.
Cotrim defended that he is “the only candidate who can clearly transcend his area of political origin”, which was then denied by his opponent, who highlighted that, among his supporters, he has Ricardo Valente, former councilor of Porto City Council and IL activist.
Seguro asked, however, that the main divergences be highlighted on an ideological level, addressing the issue of employment package presented by the Government to highlight that, if he were President of the Republic, he would veto it, while Cotrim Figueiredo would promulgate it.
“This is a very big difference that serves to demonstrate how his possible election as President of the Republic would reinforce the absolute power that already exists in our right-wing political spectrum in Portugal”, he said, before stating that he is the only candidate who can contribute to the “moderation and balance of the political system”.
Cotrim immediately criticized these statements by António José Seguro, considering that the “egg and basket theory” – in an allusion to the idea that having right-wing personalities leading all sovereign bodies in Portugal – is “quite dangerous from the point of view of institutional balance”.
“What will happen, António José Seguro, if, during your mandate, a PS Government is elected, what will you do? Resign? Do the baskets no longer contain eggs at that point? What do you do?” he asked, before arguing that the fundamental thing is that candidates “are independent of those who hold executive power”.
Afterwards, Cotrim accused Seguro of being “vague in relation to its proposals”, considering the pact for health already presented by Seguro does not present anything concrete.
Or “blow”
The two candidates then approached the nationality law by the Constitutional Court, with Cotrim Figueiredo stating that the lead was a “normal functioning of institutions”, that the essential standards were validated by the judges and that hopes that the “Assembly of the Republic does not commit the folly of insisting on that wording”, which deserved a comment from António José Seguro.
“I’m stupefied listening to João Cotrim Figueiredo about this issue, because I heard him say that enacted this law. Said in Golegã. What are we left with? You say one thing in Golegã and another here in the RTP studio”, he accused.
And here reigned the silence. Cotrim even stayed paralyzed, something pale, not knowing what to answer. Because it is difficult to say, at the same time, that you would enact the law and that you expect the text of that law to be changed.
“So, where are we left?”, insisted Seguro. After silence and hesitation, the liberal replied: “promulgava this law.” António José Seguro reacted, smiling: “Well. I am clear.”
At a time when they were addressing what they consider to be the institutional behavior of the President of the Republic, Seguro stated that he does not intend to be “a shadow prime minister in Belém”, taking the opportunity to highlight that, unlike his opponent, he has “governmental experience”.
“I was minister of engineer António Guterres, in the only Government I belonged to. (…) Therefore, I know it well, I have experience of how it works, in relation to my opponent”, he said, with Cotrim accusing Seguro of having “devalued 35 years of professional experience”.
After agreeing that measures are needed to increase birth in Portugal, the two candidates disagreed on a tax incentive program for companies that they want to acquire or merge – a plan defended by Seguro and which Cotrim said already exists –, before ending up in agreement in criticizing Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy.
