There was one word missing in Marcelo’s last message, the “beacon of responsibility”

Marcelo used the last New Year’s message to express confidence in a better future, appealing to “new ideas, solutions and people”. The president was praised for his proximity and sense of responsibility, but criticized for the lack of concrete answers to the country’s problems.
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousasaid this Thursday that he trusts that Portugal will have a better futurewith “solutions and new people”, alluding to the Portuguese’s upcoming electoral choices.

In your last New Year message As head of state, from the Belém Palace, the president hoped for a 2026 with improvements in various sectors, “with new ideas, solutions and people”, noting that “this is the nature and strength of democracy”.

Less than three weeks before the presidential elections on January 18, the President of the Republic stated that “the people choose freely what they want and who they want for the future, with the hope that it will be different and better than the past” in terms of “ideas, solutions and people”, and expressed the certainty that the country will have “better future than past“.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed the desire that 2026 be a year with more healtheducation, housing, justice, tolerance and agreement in Portugal, with more jobs and less poverty.

He also said he expected, in global terms, “a year with more development, more justice, more freedom, more equality, more solidarity“.

Beacon of responsibility

The PSD and CDS welcomed the President’s New Year’s message, praising his relationship with the Portuguese and the warnings he left about the future.

Both Leonor Belezavice-president of the PSD, as Durval Tiago Ferreira, vice-president and spokesperson for the CDS, highlighted that it was Marcelo’s last message as Head of State, after almost 10 years in office.

Leonor Beleza said that it makes sense to give Marcelo “an intense word of recognition and pride for the way he has been serving Portugal” and admitted that the PSD identifies with the challenges mentioned in the message – more health, education, housing, justice, tolerance and agreement in Portugal, more jobs and less poverty.

“The PSD feels very motivated to contribute so that the problems that the Portuguese feel are overcome and are overcome by the capabilities that the Portuguese clearly have and can mobilize to overcome all these difficulties”, said Leonor Beleza, in a statement at the PSD headquarters, broadcast on television.

Durval Ferreira recalled the difficulties of Marcelo’s presidencyfrom the covid-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine, and praised him for his sense of responsibility.

The centrist leader said “he recognizes that, in the particular and most difficult moments of his mandate, was a beacon of responsibility and tranquility” and that helped “to unite and overcome difficult times”.

Missing a word

Presidential candidates António Filipe, Catarina Martins and André Ventura criticized and pointed out flaws in the President’s New Year’s message for not talking about problems that affect the Portuguese.
Catarina Martinssupported by the Left Bloc, criticized Marcelo for “looking” at the Portugal 125 years agociting a text by Eça de Queiroz, highlighting that missing “a word” about health problemsand the hours spent waiting in hospitals, or the cost of living.

“Maybe because he’s at the end of his term I didn’t want to make a message more focused on specific problems. There was no word for despair that we have seen these days in access to healthcare, for example, which continues to be one of the most complicated issues in our country, or the cost of living”, said the MEP, in a statement broadcast on television.

“We need to look to the future, as Marcelo saiddo things differently so we can have a better future”, he concluded.

Antonio Filipesupported by the PCP, stated that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s message of optimism for the future will not materialize in health, in labor lawswhich threaten more precariousness, or in education.

So that 2026 “can be better for the overwhelming majority of Portuguese people, there needs to be a political shift on fundamental issues of national politics”, he said.

António Filipe criticized Marcelo for “total absolution of the causes of the serious situation which the country has reached and which, in fact, affects the rights of the Portuguese and represents a serious breach of the Constitution in fundamental aspects”.

The leader of Chega and candidate for President of the Republic, Andre Venturapraised the “neutral” and “objective” way made by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa regarding the “diagnosis” of the country’s statebut considered that, as in the remaining mandate, there was a lack of “the capacity for intervention and political action”.

“The Portuguese they don’t need a President who makes diagnoses and analyses”, he pointed out, criticizing the “analyst” stance of the current head of state and defending that the country “needs an interventionist President” and that “make “difficult decisions”.

“The same desire applies to us, it applies to Portugal. New year, new life. Also with more health, more education, more housing, more justice, even more growth, even more jobs and less poverty and inequality”, he added, also calling for “more tolerance, more agreement” and “a sense of national cohesion”.

Change of course

Pedro Guerreirofrom the secretariat of the Central Committee of the PCP, criticized the “degradation of public services”, namely the SNS and public schools, “which is at the growing root of injustices and inequalities” and that “attacks those who work“.

Recalling the changes to labor legislation that the Government wants to carry out, Pedro Guerreiro recalled , which brought together CGTP and UGT, and stressed that “the fight for total withdrawal” will continue.

“The feeling of indignation and revolt which is felt by many, those who feel and who do not agree, who are not indifferent to injustices and inequalities in the country”, he added

The parliamentary leader and co-president of Livre, Inês Mendes Lopescompared the speech of the President of the Republic to that of the Prime Minister, noting that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa focused on “the qualities of the Portuguese” and in what they have managed to achieve collectively over the last few years” in “contrast” with Luís Montenegro, who focused on “much more focused on competition and some individualism”.

Inês Mendes Lopes also highlighted that the head of state focused on healthhousing and equality, areas in which, from his point of view, “the Government has failed dismally”, remembering the increase in the number of homeless peoplecaused in part “by the price of housing”.

Through the voice of PAN, Inês Sousa Real highlighted that the President of the Republic’s speech conveyed a clear “concern about the future of the country, both in relation to the choice of presidential candidates and in relation to the current Government”.

The PAN’s sole deputy highlighted the Portuguese people’s problems in accessing healthcare and daycare centers and companies, which are unable to “equitably access community funds”, noting that there is “a long way to go” in these matters, as well as in combating poverty or domestic violence.

Inês Sousa Real also stated that the current head of state had “a whirlwind not only of emotions, but above all of disappointments” and “will be marked in history as a dissolving President” — but also “a President who is very close to the people”.