The upcoming presidential elections might see a new candidate entering the race on Wednesday. The socialist Augusto Santos Silva is expected to announce today whether he will enter the race for Belém.
Last Friday, the former Assembly of the Republic president declared on Facebook that “the candidacies formally presented so far do not exhaust the political space nor the proposals and profiles that should be represented in the presidential elections next January.”
Following António Vitorino’s announcement that he would not be running, Santos Silva mentioned that this led him “to reconsider the potential presidential candidacies,” including potentially launching his own.
The socialist argues that “the three candidacies formally presented so far do not exhaust the political space nor the proposals and profiles that should be represented in the presidential elections next January.”
Tomásia Sousa with Lusa | 15:26 – 27/06/2025
Accordingly, the former Assembly of the Republic president emphasized, in the same post, that he would be consulting with people whose opinions he values “very much” in the coming days.
“If everything goes as planned, given my professional responsibilities, I intend to publicly announce my decision next Wednesday, July 2,” he concluded on Facebook.
António Vitorino Withdraws from Presidential Race: “Conditions Not Met”
A day prior to Augusto Santos Silva’s statement, António Vitorino had revealed his decision not to run for the presidency, arguing that the center-left candidacy should have been singular.
In an interview with SIC Notícias, the socialist was asked if he had decided on entering the presidential race. He replied: “I will not present myself as a candidate. I have always maintained – and have been consistent in this – that there should be only one candidate in this political area.”
“My candidacy did not garner the consensus to serve as the sole candidacy in this area, and therefore, I will not stand for election,” Vitorino further explained.
The socialist António Vitorino supported the idea of a single candidacy in the center-left but suggested that there was still much time left—and that António José Seguro might not be the only candidate from this spectrum to come forward.
Teresa Banha | 22:23 – 26/06/2025
António José Seguro also responded to António Vitorino’s decision, expressing “satisfaction” upon learning that the former European commissioner would not run.
“I received Dr. António Vitorino’s decision with satisfaction, as it contributes to the union of the Democracy space and this project space, which stands for progress, humanism, and the affirmation of human values,” stated António José Seguro to journalists in Guimarães, Braga district, following a meeting with dozens of young people in a city garden.
Presidential candidate António José Seguro admitted today that he received with “satisfaction” the decision of former European commissioner António Vitorino not to run in next year’s presidential elections.
Lusa | 20:57 – 28/06/2025
António Filipe Also Running for Belém
Following the official confirmation of Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Luís Marques Mendes, and António José Seguro as candidates in the January presidential elections, last weekend saw the emergence of a new left-wing contender: António Filipe.
The announcement was made by the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) Secretary-General, Paulo Raimundo, with the candidacy to be formally presented by the former communist deputy on July 14, with the location yet to be determined.
The communist and former vice-president of the Assembly of the Republic joins the race for Belém, which will be decided in January next year. This candidacy thus ‘reinforces’ the presence of the Left in the presidential elections.
Teresa Banha with Lusa | 17:04 – 29/06/2025
