Catarina Martins and Jorge Pinto denied allegations of being “desperate” due to reportedly not gathering the required number of signatures to formalize their presidential candidacies with the Constitutional Court by Friday. Both assured that they have more than the minimum 7,500 signatures required, with the candidate supported by the Left Bloc (BE) announcing she will submit her petition at Ratton Palace on Wednesday, December 10.
“We are now doing the unboxing of signatures coming from the Braga district. I read a very alarming news story saying I was desperate to collect signatures. I didn’t just read the title; I read the article, and it turns out I already have the signatures. So, I don’t understand why the title says one thing and the article says another,” stated Catarina Martins, referring to an article published by the newspaper Nascer do Sol, also on Friday.
While opening envelopes, the former BE leader thanked “everyone who has dedicated their time and effort to making this candidacy possible,” noting that “people all over the country have been collecting signatures.”
“Thank you very, very much. We have had more than 7,500 signatures for some time now, but it’s good to be receiving them from all over the country,” she added.
Regarding the “news” claiming I’m “desperate” to collect signatures for formalizing the presidential candidacy. pic.twitter.com/1VFmaxkow6
— Catarina Martins (@catarina_mart) December 5, 2025
The MEP also mentioned she will introduce her national mandate holder on Monday, December 8, and will submit the petitions to the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.
The candidate supported by Livre expressed “some perplexity” regarding reports, as he had “just yesterday [Thursday] informed Lusa agency that [he] already had the signatures and [was] about to submit them to the Constitutional Court.”
“I’m here resting after an intense campaign week, and they tell me I’m supposedly desperate for not yet having the minimum number of signatures to run for president. Well, I promised you honesty and clarity in this campaign, and that’s what I’ll also do regarding signatures. We currently have almost six thousand digital signatures and more than 2,200 on paper. This means we already have more than the minimum 7,500 needed to be a candidate,” he highlighted.
Jorge Pinto justified continuing to seek signatures until the deadline as “each signature, while not a support or a vote declaration, is a unique opportunity” to discuss his project for the country.
The deputy went further, criticizing “people from the Liberal Initiative (IL)” who have spoken on the matter. Among them is former leader Rui Rocha, who made “a patriotic appeal: to help Catarina Martins and Jorge Pinto achieve what Manuel João Vieira has already accomplished” on the social platform X (Twitter).
“Let me also say I’m quite baffled by IL people trying to mock this signature issue. Well, my friends, remember who was the former IL-supported presidential candidate and why he became known. Not for being a good politician or his excellent electoral result, but why? For forging signatures. If I were you, I’d be a bit more restrained in my comments,” he recalled, referencing the controversy that led Tiago Mayan Gonçalves to step down from several political positions after admitting to forging jury signatures of the Porto Association Support Fund while president of the Aldoar, Foz do Douro, and Nevogilde Parish Union.
A patriotic appeal: to help Catarina Martins and Jorge Pinto achieve what Manuel João Vieira has already accomplished. pic.twitter.com/ZfHIYexSK3
— Rui Rocha (@ruirochaliberal) December 5, 2025
It should be noted that under the Constitution and electoral law, candidacies can be submitted “up to thirty days before the planned election date” by “Portuguese citizens of origin, over 35 years of age,” proposed by “a minimum of 7,500 and a maximum of 15,000 electors.”
The presidential elections are scheduled for January 18, with a possible second round on February 8. The inauguration will take place on March 9.
Hospitalized patients and prisoners can register for early voting in the presidential elections of January 18 starting Monday, and early mobile voting can be requested from January 4.
Lusa | 09:17 – 06/12/2025
