The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, stated on Tuesday, after attending the funeral of Carlos Dâmaso in Guarda, who died combating the wildfires, that “there are reflections to be made” and aspects to “change and improve” regarding fire management.
“I think we all agree that once this season ends, and we don’t know when it will, it’s evident there are reflections to be made,” said Rebelo de Sousa, emphasizing the necessity of finding a system to integrate lessons learned in wildfire response.
“It’s essential that everyone works together to find a system that learns from these lessons, and there are already many lessons we can learn,” he assured.
He highlighted that it’s essential to prioritize saving human lives and preventing casualties, as learned since the 2017 tragedies, although acknowledging some unfortunate exceptions.
From the Pedrógão tragedy, the country also learned the importance of more prevention, which requires ongoing effort throughout the year, he added.
However, he said it’s “not yet time” to make such reflections and implement new measures.
The President also addressed the controversy surrounding the Government, particularly involving the Interior Minister Maria Lúcia Amaral, who is under criticism for lacking responses and clarifications to the public.
“I admit that those who have only recently taken office are still identifying problems and solutions,” defended Rebelo de Sousa, recognizing people’s demand for immediate answers.
Rebelo de Sousa shared his own experience as President, noting that he too went through a learning process, realizing the importance of the media and providing explanations in his early years.
“In my first years as President, I heard much harsher things than in the later years because theoretically, the President was responsible for everything in the country,” he recalled to journalists.
He noted that the Government faces similar expectations.
However, he argued that one learns to provide answers, even though “those under pressure might not always understand the media’s importance and respond accordingly.”
The President admitted that the most painful experiences of his terms have been the fires and the pandemic.
Rebelo de Sousa was speaking following the funeral of the former local official of Vila Franca do Deão, who died on Friday. Earlier in the day, he remarked that Portugal is a nation of “particularly supportive” people and that Carlos Dâmaso’s death exemplifies this solidarity.
In addition to the former official, the country registered another victim of the fires — though not directly connected. A firefighter lost his life in a traffic accident while en route to a fire. Rebelo de Sousa attended his wake on Monday.
