In the interviews that six presidential candidates have given to Lusa so far, ideological positioning has been addressed, with the appeal to the center by Henrique Gouveia e Melo, the affirmation of “independence” by António José Seguro and João Cotrim Figueiredo and the ‘dispute’ on the left between Catarina Martins, António Filipe and Jorge Pinto.
The debate over who is the true left candidate scheduled the interviews with António Filipe and Catarina Martinswhich reject categorically give up in favor of António José Seguro, unlike Jorge Pinto, who made this possibility dependent on ideological clarification on the part of the former socialist general secretary. The candidate supported by Livre said however that he intends to maintain his candidacy until January 18th.
“The left-wing candidate is me”, assured António Filipe, candidate supported by the PCP, in the interview with Lusa, before stating that Seguro “is closer to the positioning” of Luís Marques Mendes than yours.
The former Bloc coordinator also argued that there was “a space on the left” that “was not represented in the presidential race”. “And I also think very sincerely that a woman was needed in this election campaign,” he added.
Jorge Pinto, however, admitted in the interview to give up the race for Belém in favor of Seguro under certain conditions: that the candidate assumes he is left-wing and is aligned with the “republican pact” he proposed, in areas such as health or housing.
“I think that António José Seguro will be left-wing: he is the former general secretary of the largest left-wing party in our democracy. If he is ashamed of being on the left, or if he thinks that being on the left means being put in a drawerit’s his problem”, criticized the candidate supported by Livre.
If Filipe and Martins claim the title of best candidate on the left, Seguro guarantees that the “independent nature” of their candidacy will not change due to having the support of the PS, although he assumes that it was important that Pedro Nuno Santos put his name among the presidential candidates.
“It was much more decisive in getting some people to say they supported me, to encourage me to run for office and perhaps some people who had never thought about the possibility of me being a candidate for President of the Republic”, he admitted.
Cotrim Figueiredo, supported by IL, said he wanted to captivate abstentionists, undecided voters and voters ranging from Chega to PS, aiming to go through to the second round.
“My electoral value — my base is the Europeans, it was the last time I went to the polls — is 9%. How much do I need to go to the second round? No one is sure. Will it be 20%, 21% or 23%? I don’t know. Therefore, this space that separates me from 22% to 9%, I have to get 13% from this 60% that are free. It’s not impossible”, said Cotrim Figueiredoassuming the objective of going to the second round.
Gouveia e Melo did not deny his military past, of which he says he is proud and which he considers to be “an added value”, but presents himself as “a civilian” and in the center.
Confessing that the thesis about the existence of dangers as a result of being a soldier “annoys” him, the former Chief of Staff of the Navy pointed out Mário Soares as the President of the Republic he liked most“even as a human being”, and distinguished himself from the first heads of state of Portuguese democracy, António de Spínola and Costa Gomes, both military men.
In an interview in which he argued that Marques Mendes will be left “with a debt to the PSD”, which “will be charged to him” If elected, he criticized Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa for having dissolved parliament when the PS had an absolute majority: “Short cycles of governance do not solve the country’s problems”.
Catarina Martins also distanced herself from the current President, promising not to resort to this option due to shortcomings in the State Budget, such as Insurance, for whom the dissolution of parliament is “the last of last resorts”.
The candidates differ, however, on the possibility of giving office to a Chega executive, with Seguro ensuring that he will not “replace the courts”, because they are the ones who verify the constitutionality and legality of the parties.
“I do not support constitutional coups. A democrat, I am a democrat, respects the voice of the people. So the people tell me one thing and I do another in the Presidency of the Republic?”, asked Seguro, who, however, warned that, if he is elected, he will demand, in the process of forming governments, guarantees of compliance with transparency rules and ethical principles.
“I will be a constitutional President and I will demand a bulletproof ethical dimension”, he promised.
Cotrim Figueiredo also guarantees that he would treat a Chega government like that of any other political color.
The same ‘tune’ was followed by Jorge Pinto, who guaranteed that his interpretation of constitutional powers will be the same whether Ventura’s party or another party, further clarifying that he would dissolve parliament only if the country was facing a “drastic review” of the Constitution carried out by the right and extreme right, which compromised “freedoms, rights and guarantees”.
António Filipe stated that he would try to avoid giving office to a Government led or with the participation of Chega, but that, if he had no other solution, he would remain vigilant to ensure that it did not violate the Constitution. Martins was adamant: “With me President, Chega will never be a Government”.
The elections for President of the Republic will take place on January 18th.