During a protest in Lisbon against labor reform organized by CGTP-IN, António Filipe responded to an opinion article published in Expresso on Friday by Aníbal Cavaco Silva, listing a set of “specific qualifications” he believes are necessary to be a head of state.
The presidential candidate, supported by the PCP, stated he was neither a student of Aníbal Cavaco Silva nor did he identify with Cavaco Silva’s presidential tenures. However, he acknowledged agreeing with the assessment made by the former President of the Republic.
“Considering the three characteristics he deems essential for a President of the Republic – political experience, knowledge of how institutions operate, and political courage – I believe I meet all these requirements”, António Filipe declared.
In his opinion piece published in Expresso, Cavaco Silva advised “whoever” not to vote, in the upcoming presidential elections, for candidates lacking the specific qualifications required, regardless of their attributes in other domains.
The former President of the Republic offered his ‘recipe’: “Respect for the Constitution and democratic procedures, defense of political stability, neutrality and independence towards various party forces and tensions between government and opposition, sobriety, and not fueling political intrigues against anyone”, speaking “truth to the Portuguese people”.
“Respect for these rules and procedures of common sense, true pillars of the exercise of the functions of any worthy President, is a necessary condition for acting in defense of the nation’s superior interests. Necessary but not sufficient,” the article reads.
