José Coelho / Lusa
The next President of the Republic, António José Seguro
Relationship with the Government and with the PS itself, defense and security, labor legislation and health. The first message already involved two of these subjects.
António José Seguro will be the next president of the Republic. He goes to Belém in a political context marked by parliamentary fragmentation, government instability and strong pressure on central areas of the State.
Although he will only take office on March 9 and has promised discretion until then, the future head of state has already made clear the main axes of his political intervention, outlining five central challenges for his mandate, highlights the .
And, on the night of the presidential elections, what he left in his victory speech already involved two of the next five subjects: relations with the Government and security.
Relationship with Government
Government stability will be a priority. Seguro assumes himself as an institutionalist President, removing the idea of an executive or muscular role in the relationship with the Government. He promises institutional loyalty to Luís Montenegro and guarantees that he will not be a factor of instability, stressing that he will not interrupt the legislature.
However, he warns that stability cannot be used to “keep everything the same” and makes it clear that he will exert political demands, especially behind the scenes – in fact, he has already shown himself demanding about support for those affected by the bad weather: he wants answers now, he will not accept delays.
In a Parliament where the Government does not have a majority and faces a reinforced Chega, Seguro admits that instability can arise regardless of its action and opens the door to alternative solutions, arguing that the lead of a State Budget does not automatically imply the dissolution of the Assembly of the Republic.
Relationship with PS
Seguro’s election represents a rare triumph for the PS, which once again has a President of the Republic from its political area for the first time in two decades. Despite this, Seguro rejects any partisan instrumentalization of the position and refuses to give up socialist activism, claiming to be “above the parties”.
Even so, socialist leaders see his election as a strong political signal and call on the Government to favor understandings with the PS over agreements with Chega.
He has also left a “message” on this subject, which had nothing to do with the current situation of the party.
Defense and security
Seguro intends to dedicate the first State Council to the topic. He defends Portugal’s European and Atlantic alignment, but shows reservations regarding the target of 5% of GDP in military expenditure, defending more efficient management before a significant increase.
In terms of internal security, he highlights civil protection and the response to natural disasters, criticizing the State’s failures in prevention and the speed of support.
It promises to pressure the Government to accelerate support mechanisms for affected populations, rejecting bureaucratic obstacles.
Employment package
This is a potential focus of institutional conflict. Seguro has already expressed opposition to the revision proposal presented by the Government and admits resorting to a political veto if the diploma progresses without substantial changes.
He criticizes measures such as the extension of fixed-term contracts and the individual time bank, arguing that the proposal could generate greater social instability.
He also links his position to the existence of an agreement in Social Concertation, a scenario considered unlikely.
Health
A central area of its mandate. Seguro defends the financial reinforcement of the National Health Service and proposes a broad political pact to guarantee stability and predictability in health policies.
It refuses to personalize responsibilities, appealing to multi-year commitments, valuing careers and regime consensus. With persistent problems in the SNS, this should be one of the main fronts of tension between Belém and São Bento.
In addition to these five axes, Seguro has signaled interest in topics such as wage inequality, domestic violence, housing and living conditions of young peopleseeking to affirm an active, but institutional, Presidency.
