Presidential candidate António José Seguro criticized Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s performance as head of state, particularly concerning the creation of a health sector regime pact.
“I was extremely surprised when the President announced, after nine and a half years in office, that he proposed a health pact – and then I saw no initiative. When the President speaks, there must be a consequence to the words used,” Seguro stated to journalists in Porto, where he attended a conference by ECO at the Serralves Foundation.
“I will not wait nine and a half years. In the first year, I will initiate the conditions for this pact to result in concrete solutions to improve access to healthcare for Portuguese people,” said Seguro, adding that he will consult the current government and political parties on the matter.
The candidate deemed it “unacceptable” that news is frequently focused on daily deaths or situations that should not exist in a civilized country.
“Yesterday was already late. We need to understand that there is an urgency and we must address the problems faced by people with healthcare access difficulties (…). My appeal is: stop the squabbles and focus on solutions. The Portuguese need better healthcare available in a timely manner,” he stated.
Step by step, what can Seguro do in Belém?
Seguro revealed that his first actions will include meeting with the Prime Minister, holding individual discussions with each party leader, and consulting with all healthcare sector stakeholders: doctors, nurses, hospital organizations, the private sector, and the social sector.
“Then, define a roadmap to gather contributions from everyone and identify areas of convergence to promote timely access to healthcare for the Portuguese,” he detailed.
On healthcare, when asked about Defense Minister Nuno Melo’s announcement that the Air Force would purchase and operate four Black Hawk helicopters to support INEM, António José Seguro declined to comment due to “not knowing the technical specifications of the purchased helicopters”, but reiterated: “What I do know is that we cannot have broken helicopters, preventing aid to those in need, as happened last week,” he noted.
The Fábrica 2030 conference, organized by the economic digital newspaper ECO and held under the theme “Portugal that produces”, gathered five presidential candidates: Luís Marques Mendes, António José Seguro, André Ventura, João Cotrim de Figueiredo, and Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
In his speech, António José Seguro promised “not to be a shadow prime minister in Belém” and pledged that if elected, he would have “a more discreet approach”, committing to be “a defender of stability”.
“I will be less on the news but more engaged with the parties. Speaking daily on TV trivializes one’s words (…). The President should speak at the right moment and in the right place,” he remarked.
Regarding threats to democracy, Seguro warned that they have always existed but “today the scale is immense”.
“Threats to democracy result from populism, extremism, and radicalism. It’s about the amount of poison present. If small, it’s manageable, but at the scale we’re witnessing today, there’s an issue,” he cautioned.
In his intervention, António José Seguro advocated that Portugal needs “a new political culture and commitment” to “end the trenches and align political and economic actors in the same direction”.
When questioned about Manuel Pizarro’s support for Gouveia e Melo, he mentioned that today, during his book launch, the Mayor of Matosinhos and the President of the National Association of Municipalities, Luísa Salgueiro, would be present.
Regarding comments from Jorge Pinto, a candidate backed by Livre, who suggested he might consider withdrawing in favor of António José Seguro, challenging him to clarify his ideological stance but demanding reciprocity if his candidacy grows, the former PS secretary-general expressed: “I am very pleased that several people and an announced candidate for President of the Republic consider the possibility of support, as, in terms of positioning, I am a Europeanist and a proponent of sustainable development”.
