António Filipe, appearing on CNN Portugal on Wednesday evening, asserted his position as the leading left-wing candidate likely to reach the second round in the presidential elections scheduled for January 18, 2026.
“When I declared my candidacy, many people expressed to me, ‘finally, I have a candidate to vote for,'” recounted the candidate backed by the PCP. He noted that previously, there was no candidate with whom progressive voters could align themselves, and his entry fills this gap, representing the values of April and the Constitution.
Filipe offered critical comments on António José Seguro, the PS-backed candidate. He remarked, “When someone finds it difficult to declare themselves as left-wing, there is an issue. One day they avoid labels, and the next, they hesitate to express their stance,” he criticized.
The former Vice-President of the Assembly of the Republic also delivered harsh critiques of the government’s labor proposal during the same interview, calling it “a significant regression in fundamental labor rights.”
Among the contested measures are “the liberalization of dismissal and the end of the right to reinstatement, even when the court declares the dismissal illegal.”
“We are talking about complete deregulation of working hours, forcing workers to accept individual hour banks up to 50 hours a week, and serious limitations on union activity,” he stated, highlighting that the proposal “also reduces the rights of working mothers,” which he deemed “unacceptable.”
Filipe expressed hope that the bill would be withdrawn before reaching the President of the Republic, but should he be elected, he vowed to “examine the constitutionality of the norms” and would not hesitate to “refer any constitutional violations to the Constitutional Court.” Furthermore, even in the absence of constitutional infringements, he would exercise the political veto: “I would stand with the workers and urge the Assembly of the Republic to reconsider its decisions.”
Regarding the general strike on December 11, the communist emphasized that such actions “only occur if workers believe in the justice of their cause.”
On the topic of the war in Ukraine, which is a divisive issue on the left, Filipe asserted that “regardless of who becomes President of the Republic, Ukraine and Russia will need to reach an understanding.”
“Europe needs a solution for peace,” he declared, adding, “this is the peaceful solution we should be advocating for.”
“As President of the Republic, I would commit to peace processes wherever armed conflicts exist. For example, I believe Portugal has a historical responsibility concerning Palestine,” he commented.
Before concluding the interview, Filipe addressed Portugal’s social and economic conditions, which he affirmed are the “primary reason” for his candidacy.
“We have two and a half million workers earning less than a thousand euros a month. This is unacceptable,” he stated, attributing it to the “subordination of political power to economic power.”
“The general increase in wages doesn’t have other impacts, such as fueling inflation. The sole impact is on reducing profits. In sum, to maintain these obscene profits, we have low wages, and it should be the reverse,” he insisted, committing to being “a President of the Republic who stands with the people, not economic power.”
