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Fires: Gouveia e Melo says a President should not “only send messages”

The presidential candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo criticized the negative perspective often applied to reviews regarding wildfires. He made his comments in response to questions about a potential commission of inquiry prompted by Chega. Speaking on wildfire management, Melo emphasized that the role of a head of state also involves closely monitoring situations, not merely issuing directives.

“All scrutiny is important. Now, when the scrutiny aims to bolster a negative perspective rather than contribute to building a future, I honestly don’t see any utility in that,” stated Gouveia e Melo while visiting the Book Fair in Porto.

Addressing the mandatory Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry, the presidential hopeful remarked, “It’s very easy to be part of the demolition department in a company.”

“What is challenging is being part of the rebuilding and constructing department. Demolition is much easier than having constructive ideas and building”, he argued.

Henrique Gouveia e Melo noted, “Criticism is always very easy.”

“The issue is how we transition from criticism to concrete, systematic, and persistent actions over time, so we don’t find ourselves here in seven or eight years.”, he emphasized.

The candidate expressed that there is much to be done differently in managing wildfires.

“Of course, it belongs to governance, but the Presidency must also keep a vigilant eye. It’s not just about giving messages; it’s about helping this process consolidate over time,” he considered.

The admiral reiterated the necessity for “better organization of resources,” rejecting the idea of injecting them “chaotically into a system that then responds chaotically.”

“If you examine the command and control system when resources are in action, it’s a super-complex system with many entities, diluting responsibility among them. In action, quick coordination is impossible due to too many participants, too many commands, and confusion,” he noted.

Gouveia e Melo asserted that the strategy cannot be “let the forest burn while only protecting the houses” because “the forest is a heritage.”

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