As part of his candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic, André Ventura appeared on SIC/SIC Notícias on Friday night, outlining his aspirations for the election outcome, the model of head of state he intends to be, and the country he aims to build if elected to the Palácio de Belém in January.
When asked why the Portuguese should vote for him, recalling his previous bid to become prime minister, the Chega president began by stating that “politics is not always about what we want”.
“Sometimes it’s about what the country needs. I’ve never seen politics as something I needed, but rather as a sense of mission”, he explained, quoting “Ramalho Eanes who said ‘politics must be a mission, not a benefit’.
André Ventura admits he did not wish to run for the Presidency but stated that “the state of the country” and the other “presented candidacies” prompted him, together with Chega, to conclude they were not being represented.
“There wasn’t a single candidate representing the country and the system. The only candidate presenting to transform brought into the candidacy the ‘Isaltinos’ and the ‘Rui Rios’, which are truly the worst of the system. So, there ceased to be an anti-system candidacy, and when that happens, in life, we have to move forward”, he explained, alluding to the candidacy of admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
Ventura further described his vision of a President as someone who conducts the country. He believes “at the moment, the country is going in the wrong direction, at the wrong speed, and everything is wrong”.
We have more criminals at large than in jail. We have politicians convicted of corruption being mayors, ministers, receiving lifelong pensions… It’s the open bar of the Republic
Fourth Republic and “three Salazares”
On establishing a potential Fourth Republic and whether this symbolizes or intends to force a break outside democratic mechanisms (such as a regime change coup), the presidential candidate states: “I’m a democrat, but there are times when we must admit the country’s rotten”.
“There’s an epidemic of corruption in Portugal, and when it’s like this, we say ‘oh, but constitutional mechanisms…’ But what constitutional mechanisms? This is rotten with corruption! We need another regime, it’s not rhetorical“, he emphasized.
For the current opposition leader, it’s impossible to fight corruption under the current regime: “We have more criminals at large than in jail. We have politicians convicted of corruption being mayors, ministers, receiving lifelong pensions… It’s the open bar of the Republic”.
Ventura also mentioned the case of Odair Moniz’s death, noting that “everyone is very concerned because the police assaulted a minority citizen, but they don’t care about the police who are assaulted daily in those neighborhoods“.
“It was not necessary to have one Salazar, it would take three Salazars to put this in order”, he said, illustrating how much he believes “the country is rotten with corruption, impunity, and criminality”.
As President of the Republic, Ventura claims he does not aim to be a “ribbon-cutter” or a “marketing agent”. “In the system we have, the President tends to perform checks and balances, but must be direct. I’m running to put the country in order”, he promised.
“If I were President of the Republic, I would tell Justice it must act. The separation of powers exists, but what cannot happen is that the usual poor and privileged ones have favorable justice, and ordinary citizens feel justice always falls on them. This is the role of a President of the Republic”, he describes.
President of the Republic and… president of Chega
When asked how he intends to ensure that if elected, there will be no confusion between the two roles, especially since he did not declare independence from the party upon candidacy, André Ventura considers himself “part of the values that Chega holds”, but can “shape the Republic” as President without compromising independence.
“At the moment in Portugal, few words have as much expression as those of the President of the Republic. If the President tells the Government it must be intolerant to the epidemic of corruption, the Government will have to pay attention to that. The President, just by their actions, can define the character of the Republic”, he elaborated, illustrating: “When there were riots in Bairro da Jamaica, the President of the Republic [Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa] decided to go to the place and start by visiting those who started the riots and not the police forces – this sends a signal, and a signal of how, without a decree, a President can shape the Republic“.
On what type of President of the Republic he intends to be—unifying or divisive—Ventura considers that “unifying is nonsense”. He assured, however, that he will be “intolerant to corruption and uncontrolled immigration” and that the use of the veto will depend on the “type of Government” in office.
It is noted that among the candidates running for Belém are admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Luís Marques Mendes, António José Seguro, António Filipe, Catarina Martins, Joana Amaral Dias, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, and André Pestana.
