Presidential candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo advocates for a truly impartial President of Portugal, warning against the risks of having a “Trojan horse” aligned with any political party.
“Such a Trojan horse has two possible functions: to validate everything the party does or to, at the earliest opportunity, destabilize the governance. True impartiality is hard to achieve when one owes loyalties, not just from their career path but also from the support received during the election,” he warns.
Former Chief of the Navy, Gouveia e Melo further critiques: “Marques Mendes may claim not to be from PSD, claiming independence. However, without PSD, he wouldn’t be elected. He will be indebted to PSD, and that debt will be collected,” he asserts.
For Gouveia e Melo, “moderation cannot exist without impartiality.”
“The moderation that Marques Mendes refers to is a natural moderation of any reasonably intelligent and sensible adult person. Moreover, the President is not just a moderator of the regime; they are also an arbiter and verifier. And regarding claims that I lack political experience, what I do lack is political-party experience,” he counters.
He cites his role in leading the covid-19 vaccination process as evidence.
“When the supposed politicians, full of moderation and experience, had to drive a political process, which was the vaccination campaign, they failed. I, supposedly lacking any political experience, led this process with everyone’s help, not alone. By not being alone, I had to negotiate, unify, and set objectives. That’s true politics,” he argues.
Gouveia e Melo also denies having an authoritarian demeanor detrimental to consensus-building from Belém among differing sectors. He suggests that certain people want to confine him to a role shaped by their interests.
“In the military, I had authority, but I wasn’t authoritarian. Military work is disciplined and hierarchical, which doesn’t mean I can’t operate in a freer, more horizontal system. I have proven my capability to work in such a system,” he notes, referencing his efforts against the covid-19 pandemic.
The candidate pledges to strive for political stability while criticizing the parliament’s dissolution by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in November 2023, despite the PS holding an absolute majority.
He acknowledges the importance of closeness and affection in a head of state’s role but points out it’s not sufficient.
When asked if the Portuguese will lose a sense of affection if he succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as President, Gouveia e Melo starts by praising the current head of state for his citizen engagement: “He did very well in being close to the people, a President of affection.”
“Being a President of affection is not bad, but it cannot be limited to or overshadowed by that aspect,” he notes.
“One cannot let that aspect condition their actions, as difficult decisions often need to be made that won’t please everyone,” he adds.
In this interview, Henrique Gouveia e Melo expresses concern over the political instability in Portugal over the last three years and the potential rise of populism, emphasizing that the country cannot continue with short governance cycles.
“Short governance cycles don’t solve the country’s problems. This unresolved state leads to a growing dissatisfaction, eventually leading to a populist solution, which usually doesn’t take over the country democratically,” he warns, though he immediately clarifies that Portugal is not yet at that point.
When asked if political instability partly stems from the reinforced legitimacy given to directly elected Presidents, Gouveia e Melo disagrees with this hypothesis by former Prime Minister and current President of the European Council, António Costa.
“Our constitutional system is semi-presidential, period,” he replies.
