“The Presidency of the Republic is not a stage for vanity. It is a place of responsibility, listening, balance, and inspiration,” declared presidential candidate and former Secretary-General of the PS during the presentation of a book about his life titled ‘António José Seguro, One of Us,’ authored by journalist Rui Gomes.
The book presentation, which compiles testimonies covering various phases of the presidential candidate’s life, took place in a packed hall at a Lisbon hotel and was attended by several figures from the PS— the party that declared its support on Sunday— including long-time socialist Manuel Alegre, former presidential candidates Ana Gomes and Maria de Belém, and former government officials João Soares, Duarte Cordeiro, Alberto Martins, Nuno Severiano Teixeira, and Jamila Madeira.
Emphasizing that his life has been “made of dialogues, work, and dedication to public causes,” Seguro thanked all those who contributed to the book and those who “challenged him throughout his life.”
“Because it is those challenges that make us stronger and more aware of what we represent,” stressed the socialist, who was part of one of the most significant leadership contests within the PS in 2014, ultimately won by António Costa.
António José Seguro expressed his desire to “build a future where trust becomes the basis of politics, where hope outweighs fear, and where Portugal can finally believe in itself.”
“Here, as in Belém, I will always be one of you. Here, as in Belém, I will always be one of us. Here, as in Belém, I will always be your voice,” he concluded.
On the sidelines of the ceremony, Seguro was questioned about a phrase from the book where he states, “I do not forget, but I am not vindictive. Nor do I seek the future in the reverse of the past.”
Asked whether he is trying to “turn the past inside out,” the former socialist leader replied, “No, absolutely not. What I am here to do is always look towards the future.”
Seguro reiterated his willingness to “unite, listen,” and “represent all Portuguese without exception,” highlighting his commitment to “always place the country’s interest above group or party interests.”
“The commitment to serve Portugal with proximity, wisdom, serenity, and a sense of state,” he added.
Stressing that politics, for him, “has never been an end in itself,” but “a way of caring for people, protecting what is common” and “correcting what is wrong,” the former official argued that “the greatest sense” of the book is “the certainty that it is worth believing in politics as service and not in politics as power.”
“Today, looking back, I don’t just see roles, mandates, or public moments. I see people, faces, glances. People who trusted, who disagreed, who taught me, with whom I learned. People who helped me grow and always reminded me that no one does anything alone,” he emphasized.
Asked whether this book is an attempt to make peace with the socialists who may have been upset with him when he was leader, Seguro responded that he addresses “all Portuguese” and appealed to “democrats, progressives, humanists, to converge on a candidacy that seeks to unite.”
“We need to bring hope where there is fear, we need to unite where there is an excess of divisions. This is the purpose of my candidacy, and I will not stray from it,” he added.
On whether the room filled with socialist figures might already reflect the party’s declared support as of Sunday, Seguro stated that “he has had full rooms,” even when he “advanced alone four months ago.”
The book was presented by journalist Fátima Campos Ferreira and socialist Francisco Assis, who in 2011 contested the leadership of the PS with Seguro, a confrontation remembered by him.
Assis praised Seguro for inviting him, about a year later, to head the socialist list in the European elections, considering it a gesture that demonstrated his “dimension” by not harboring “any grudges” and refusing “to take revenge.”
“A few months remain. It will be a tough fight. You will have, as you always did in your life, many adversaries: some more obvious, others more hidden. But your strength, determination, ability, decency, your extraordinary civic, political, and personal decency will win, and with it, Portugal will win,” he lauded.
[News updated at 21:05]
