The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, stated on Sunday that it is not in his “principles” to comment on Presidents who preceded him, nor will he comment on “future presidents” or “presidential candidates,” following an interview where Henrique Gouveia e Melo claimed Marcelo attempted to block his progress.
“It has been a principle of mine, ever since I was a presidential candidate, not to comment on former Presidents. Therefore, I did not comment on Cavaco Silva, Jorge Sampaio, Mário Soares, Ramalho Eanes. I believe this is part of respecting institutions. As President, I did not comment on the Presidents who preceded me, and as a former president, I do not intend to comment on future Presidents or presidential candidates. That is my principle. I did not give any interview. It does not exist“, he responded to journalists in Vila Viçosa when confronted with Gouveia e Melo’s remarks.
When questioned again about whether he undermined the admiral, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa reiterated that he had not given any interview regarding “leadership issues in the Armed Forces.”
“There is no interview. I have not spoken in my own words about who is in charge, who is not, who should or should not lead the Armed Forces, or about who should or should not be a presidential candidate,” he retorted.
The issue stems from statements by Admiral Gouveia e Melo, who revealed that he only decided to pursue the presidency after reading a news article in Expresso that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa intended to block his presidential run by reappointing him as head of the Navy.
Admiral Gouveia e Melo reveals he only decided to pursue the presidency after reading in Expresso that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa intended to block his presidential candidacy by reappointing him as head of the Navy.
Lusa | 10:45 – 09/11/2025
General Strike? “The procession has just begun”
Regarding the announcement of the general strike by CGTP and UGT, the President expressed agreement with the statements made by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
“We are currently voting on the State Budget, which is very important, and the voting only finishes at the end of November. Then, there are laws that are also important, one of which is labor law, especially if it is to change much legislation. It makes sense to be discussed in Social Consultation, and it makes sense to be discussed with the parties. Therefore, I think it is a matter where the procession has only just begun,” he noted.
He added: “We are talking about a reality that will probably only be discussed in Parliament, maybe not until the end of this year. Probably only next year.”
On Saturday, the Secretary-General of CGTP announced a general strike for December 11 against the Government’s labor package, describing it as a “brutal attack” on workers. The UGT union is also joining this strike, marking the first time in ten years.
The Secretary-General of CGTP announced a general strike for December 11 against the Government’s labor package, describing it as a “brutal attack.” The UGT union is also participating in this strike. What did the politicians say?
Maria Gouveia | 10:11 – 09/11/2025
