During a session organized by Fórum Manifesto at Casa do Comum in Lisbon, the candidate supported by the Communist Party of Portugal (PCP) explained to the audience his decision to run for the Presidency of the Republic. He aims to combat what he described as the “hegemonic power” of the right, at a time when the country faces “an offensive very similar” to that experienced during the troika period.
“The presidential election is an opportunity to confront this hegemony,” he noted.
Admitting that it was “obviously desirable” to have a more unified candidacy from the left, António Filipe remarked that “this possibility disappeared when António José Seguro,” whom he associated with the ‘centrão’, entered the race.
“The notion that the left is defeated [in this presidential election] is manifestly premature,” he argued.
The candidate further stressed that the differences and similarities between the three leftist candidacies — the others being those of Catarina Martins and Jorge Pinto — should be considered by voters who will head to the polls on January 18.
In addition to Filipe, António José Seguro (supported by the Socialist Party), Catarina Martins (backed by the Left Bloc), and Jorge Pinto (supported by Livre) have announced their candidacies. Other contenders include André Ventura (supported by Chega), João Cotrim Figueiredo (backed by the Liberal Initiative), Luís Marques Mendes (supported by the Social Democratic Party), and Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
“If the idea was to have [only] one leftist candidate, then António José Seguro should withdraw. On the left, I’m here,” he reiterated, suggesting the former socialist secretary-general is closer to Marques Mendes and Gouveia e Melo.
For António Filipe, the election of a left-wing president would signal a shift in the political atmosphere, at a time he believes the country is navigating “a very challenging phase.”
“Fortunately, democratic forces are still here,” he added.
When questioned about how to counter the societal shift to the right, a ‘phenomenon’ for which he finds no single explanation, Filipe cited media and the Socialist Party, particularly the governments of António Costa, as contributing factors.
Prior to the Fórum Manifesto session, António Filipe spoke to journalists, expressing satisfaction that the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, is “already in a good state of health and in good shape.”
The President of the Republic, who underwent surgery for an incarcerated hernia at the Hospital de São João in Porto on Monday, was discharged today.
“I believe it’s important to have a President of the Republic in good health, regardless of the timing,” he stated.
The candidate also mentioned that he has not yet had the opportunity to review the government’s housing measures presented in parliament, promising to comment later.
The presidential election is scheduled for January 18, 2026.
