The race to supports and the title of ‘most independent candidate’ continues at full steam, and it was also in that championship that Luís Marques Mendes played when, this Wednesday, he presented his district representatives – many of whom have no party affiliation, some even close to the PS. In a session at a hotel in Lisbon, the candidate supported by the PSD defended that independence “is not proclaimed, it is practiced”, and that “no one has a monopoly on independence”.
The reference was to opponent Henrique Gouveia e Melo, who has been trying to tear through the center and take advantage of the fact that he does not come from a political party. “No one has a monopoly on independence and, then, I am on exactly the same level as Presidents like Mário Soares, Jorge Sampaio, Cavaco Silva or Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa: they came from the parties, they were proud of their political life, as I am proud, I am not ashamed, and, despite having been party leaders, they reached the Presidency and were independent”, said Luís Marques Mendes.
As if to confirm this, Eduardo Barroso had spoken before him, doctor-surgeon, nephew of Mário Soares and Maria Barroso, childhood friend of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. “I am a faithful PS voter, I never voted for PSD or AD, but I will try to show that no one should feel that they are betraying their ideologies and their parties, because Marques Mendes is a democrat and abides by the Constitution – and that is enough“, these Eduardo Barroso in an impromptu intervention (since he thought the session was tomorrow and had almost missed it), where he tried to show how people like him – who have always voted PS and never voted PSD or AD – can vote for Marques Mendes without thereby betraying their principles or ideology.
Defending a candidacy “comprehensive, aggregating, which brings together people from various political backgrounds and people without party ties”Marques Mendes presented his district representatives (more islands), in a range where, in addition to Eduardo Barroso, there are the former PS deputy Sobrinho Teixeira, or the chef Rodrigo Castelo, or António Fontaínha Fernandes, former rector of UTAD (University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro) and former president of the Council of Rectors, who has no links to the PSD. About them, Mendes highlighted their “strong political career in the ideal of citizenship”, regardless of whether or not they have links to traditional and party politics.
For the presidential candidate who, this week, received the support of the former PSD prime minister and former president of the European Commission, Durão Barrosoa independence “is not promised, it is practiced, and it is not proclaimed, it is done”. Drawing from his past as a party leader and as a commentator, Marques Mendes said it was his “independence” that meant that today he did not have certain support: when he was a party leader he decided that the PSD would not support the candidacies of mayors investigated for corruption (even today Isaltino Morais does not forgive him, and supports Gouveia e Melo) and when he was a commentator he criticized the leaders of his party who have not forgotten – just this week, in an interview with SIC, Rui Rio reminded him. “There’s stillToday I don’t have any support in this candidacy because in the years of commenting I exercised this independence”, said Mendes.
Regarding the type of President he wants to be, Marques Mendes summarized it in two or three pillars: he will promote stability politics and avoiding elections every two years, because doing so is “protecting the most vulnerable”; it will demand results from the government, whatever it may be, left or right; and will do pedagogy for national ambition.
“Um PR does not exist to evaluate ministers, the PR does not exist to ask for the resignation of ministersthis is a matter for voters, commentators and opinionators. The PR exists to demand results“, he said, also stating that another aim of the President must be to promote positive Portugal and the country’s ambition. According to Mendes, it is not acceptable that, in the last 30 years, Portugal has invested a record amount in community funds (“180 billion euros”) and this has not been synonymous with significant growth in terms of GDP per capita compared to the European Union average. “This is not a way of life, we have to reverse this situation”, he said.
For this, he summarized, “political experience” is necessary. Because, he said, “the position of President of the Republic is the most political position that exists in the Portuguese State”. Independence, on the one hand, but political experience, on the other. It is in this balance that Marques Mendes will try to stop the drain of votes for the admiral and try to get a place in the second round of the presidential race.