The newly elected Social Democrat president of the Porto Municipal Council, Pedro Duarte, analyzed the candidates for the Presidency of the Republic on Sunday night on CNN Portugal.
While refraining from making predictions since several months remain before the presidential elections expected on January 18, 2026, Pedro Duarte categorizes the candidates into “three groups,” with the exception of Jorge Pinto from Livre, whom he hasn’t had time to “analyze.”
The first group includes IL, PCP, and BE, whose candidates, according to Pedro Duarte, “do not aspire to reach a second round,” but have “invested their best assets,” making it interesting to see how far they can go politically.
The second group comprises the “predictable” candidates: Marques Mendes and António José Seguro. “We have always known their thoughts. Both offer predictability and security,” he notes.
About the PS-supported candidate António José Seguro, Pedro Duarte states that he is “not exciting” and lacks consensus even within his own party.
As for Luís Marques Mendes, Pedro Duarte says he “offers another type of guarantees.” Although not particularly “exciting” due to his predictability, he is “the natural candidate at this stage” and is “accepted by the majority of the PSD.”
The third and final group includes the “unpredictable” André Ventura and Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
“We do not know what to expect from them. Ventura shows a more populist, erratic swing. Concerning the admiral, we do not know his political thoughts on any matter […]. His candidacy seems somewhat opportunistic, aiming to occupy a natural space of Chega, more populist. At a certain point, he became a centrist-left figure. This does not offer guarantees. Someone who shifts according to political winds, leaning more left or right, is not ideal for a President of the Republic,” Duarte emphasizes, adding that “if he [Gouveia e Melo] intends to be a winning candidate, he still has much to prove.”
It is noteworthy that Pedro Duarte was elected as the president of the Porto Municipal Council on October 12 and will officially assume office on November 5, replacing Rui Moreira.
