“The Government is a minority, so it is a relationship that requires agreements. These, concerning the reform of the State, are state agreements. State agreements are fundamental. A minority Government cannot advance without these agreements (…) these laws [of state reform] require a majority, and these laws demand the broadest possible support,” stated Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The President of the Republic was speaking at the closing of the Millennium Talks Lisbon — COTEC Innovation Summit, held at FIL in Lisbon.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who initially remarked that this would be one of his last speeches as President on the economy and Portuguese society, addressed the announced state reform to highlight that although there are “very important” structural changes to be made, what “truly matters is to know what happens in the next six months.”
Hence, the head of state argued that understanding what to expect in the short term requires political stability, which he considered “a sensitive issue.” For Marcelo, this stability is “fundamental” to ensure that at least one legislative period “runs smoothly.”
Political stability, he stated, should first be observed at the local level, and also in the “ability to make quick decisions,” in the “relationship between the executives and the parliamentary bodies,” and between the Government and the President of the Republic.
“A partnership between the President of the Republic and the Government is fundamental. It’s essential; our system is semi-presidential, not presidential, nor parliamentary, and it means that stability is only possible with a great capacity for dialogue between the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and thus the Government and, of course, the Assembly of the Republic,” he added.
