“It’s important not to falsify history, and the 25th of April is truly what changed everything. That’s why we celebrate the 25th of April,” stated at the end of a visit to the High-Performance Center in Sangalhos, Anadia, Aveiro district.
When questioned by journalists about the significance of celebrating the 25th of November, Catarina Martins reminded that it was the Assembly of the Republic that decided to commemorate the date and invite the President of the Republic.
“The President of the Republic should be present, not only out of institutional duty but also because he has the final say. It’s important to use that final say to remember that democracy was born from the 25th of April, which toppled the dictatorship,” she argued.
According to the presidential candidate, after the 25th of November, Portugal continued with the same Constituent Assembly and government, and no dissolution took place.
“There was a shift in military power, and fortunately, those were defeated who wanted to outlaw the left, establish an authoritarian regime, and who spent the entire summer bombing leftist parties or unions,” she concluded.
The presidential elections are scheduled for January 18, 2026.
This marks the 12th time (including the two rounds of the 1986 elections) since 1976 that Portuguese citizens are called upon to elect the President of the Republic democratically.
In addition to Catarina Martins (supported by the BE), candidates include João Cotrim Figueiredo (backed by the Liberal Initiative), António Filipe (endorsed by the PCP), António José Seguro (supported by the PS), André Ventura (backed by Chega), Henrique Gouveia e Melo, and Jorge Pinto (supported by Livre), Luís Marques Mendes (endorsed by the PSD and CDS-PP), among others.
