“We have serious issues in Portuguese society. Besides the evident fires, we have severe housing problems that are unraveling our society, creating tremendous issues within our society,” he stated.
Speaking to journalists, he also mentioned that Portugal has “a health problem” and that the Portuguese perceive this issue.
“And there is a problem also, indirectly linked to health, which is the phenomenon of migration,” he added.
For Gouveia e Melo, “this issue is even more complex because our economy also needs immigrants and, therefore, good management is necessary.”
“We have a problem of creating hatred within our society instead of trust, and this will affect our democracy, directly or indirectly, in the medium and long term,” he considered.
In this regard, he stated that it is necessary to “generate trust, generate hope and achieve things” rather than “making promises and doing nothing.”
Referring to the fires, the presidential candidate questioned whether “this situation with the fires is acceptable.”
“If it’s not acceptable, did the state do everything possible to prevent it or not?”, he asked, adding that it did not, and it is necessary to do “better and differently.”
No president educates a government
Gouveia e Melo visited the São Mateus Fair for the first time, which this year marks its 633rd edition, where he received words of encouragement and support, took photographs, and heard requests to “educate the Government when you win, as it needs to be educated.”
Speaking to journalists, Gouveia e Melo admitted he disagrees with the need to educate the Government, as “no president educates a government, they accompany when they must accompany, help when they must help, and call attention when they need to call attention”, as he would do, he said, regarding the “serious issues” he described.
During the hour-long visit covered by the Lusa agency, Gouveia e Melo touched on topics such as sustainability and the eradication of poverty and had a blood pressure check, which read 7-10.
“I am in great physical shape,” he reacted.
When asked if he would remain so if elected and in light of the ongoing issues in the country like the fires, Gouveia e Melo drew on his military background.
“My training, my military past, allows me to face very difficult situations while keeping stress controlled; however, there are things that need to be said and moments when we cannot wait to say certain kinds of things,” he stated.
“When command lines do not function, we see what is happening”
During the visit, Gouveia e Melo criticized the organization of civil protection, invoking his experience in “command and control,” and advocated for long-term forest planning.
“Regarding command and control, being a military person, I think I have something to say. The lines of command and control must be fluid, simple, and direct. When they are too complex, not fluid, involving many agencies and entities, they don’t work under stress, and when they don’t work, we see what is happening today with all of us Portuguese,” pointed out reserve admiral Gouveia e Melo.
In statements to journalists during a visit to the São Mateus Fair in Viseu, the presidential candidate advocated for the creation of a long-term forest plan rather than year-by-year changes or short-term cycles.
“Actions cannot be only short-term. They cannot be responses to media pressure to which I, the Government, and governance are subject, but rather genuinely medium and long-term actions that will help solve the problem,” he argued.
In statements to journalists during a visit to the São Mateus Fair in Viseu, the presidential candidate advocated for the creation of a long-term forest plan rather than year-by-year changes or short-term cycles.
Lusa | 20:29 – 22/08/2025
According to Gouveia e Melo, these actions should be based on three points: “creating an economy for the forest so it becomes profitable; reshaping the interior and giving it more significance; preventing differently and also fighting incidents differently.”
“And we have to be persistent with these actions. I can’t design a set of actions, everything looks fine, and then, after a year, I forget about them,” he criticized.
