The presidential candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo introduced himself to the Portuguese public as a “staunch supporter of political stability,” “deeply Christian,” and an advocate for “state reform.”
“I am a staunch supporter of political stability. We should only judge a government after it has had time to implement its program during normal elections. Short cycles lead governments to adopt more populist rather than structural measures. They focus on quick fixes instead of on medium and long-term measures that genuinely change people’s lives,” said Gouveia e Melo on RTP 3’s Grande Entrevista this Wednesday.
Regarding the AD government and Luís Montenegro, now fully functional after the approval of the Government Program, the admiral believes it has the “political conditions” to last four years.
“It is frankly desirable that this happens. Our state needs reform because it affects the economy, our prosperity, and we want a social state that the economy can support. If we severely impact the economy, we also affect the social state. Solutions often only emerge when there is time to implement them. Interruptions cause deviations in this path, necessarily affecting the outcome,” explained the presidential candidate.
He also indirectly disclosed how he has voted in past elections. “Throughout my journey as a citizen, I have sometimes voted for the PSD and other times for the PS. Most of the time, I voted for the winner,” he revealed.
He described himself as a “mix of many things,” a “Portuguese citizen who loves Portugal,” who was “prepared” to be a “military leader,” but also “deeply Christian,” despite rarely attending church.
At home, he typically excludes his family from “major professional decisions.”
“The major decisions of my life, professionally, were made alone. This one too,” assured Gouveia e Melo.
After spending 45 years “dedicated to the state and the defense of interests and the Constitution,” he wishes to continue making a “civic contribution” to the Portuguese population through “political life.”
Last weekend, the presidential candidate praised the AD Government Program for being “reformist and future-oriented,” though acknowledging it contains controversies.
“I was pleased because it is a reformist and future-oriented Government Program. However, there is a considerable gap between the program and its implementation,” noted Gouveia e Melo.
At the time, the candidate mentioned that he had only read the document “in a very preliminary way” but wished the Government “luck” in implementing the proposed measures.
“The Government Program, in general, will contribute to the country’s development. We all progress, and Portugal will advance if the program is executed,” he anticipated.
Gouveia e Melo admitted, on the other hand, that “there are controversial aspects in the Government Program,” yet considers that “this is part of political-party struggle,” particularly on the issue of immigration.
