“I don’t believe exercising rights turns people into suspects,” declared Augusto Santos Silva on the sidelines of a debate in Porto.
Augusto Santos Silva, set to clarify on Wednesday if he will run in the 2026 presidential elections, emphasized the importance of citizens trusting the rule of law and patiently awaiting the decision from the Constitutional Court.
“Social Democratic Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, filed an objection to the public consultation of his income declaration, partially challenging elements already publicly known (client list),” announced his office today.
“In my opinion, João is not diminished for appealing; he’s exercising his right, as any João or Joana would. In this case, it’s not a João, it’s a Luís, who has the same right as any João,” he insisted.
Despite being “100%” supportive of public officials submitting their statements of interests, interest registers, and income declarations, the Socialist noted that “currently unnecessary demands are made that only create work,” citing an example he was unprepared to answer.
“I had no idea, nor did I know a gasoline car could have kilowatts. As far as I know, the Prime Minister exercised a legal right to appeal to the Constitutional Court, which will undoubtedly decide,” he stated.
When confronted by journalists about his potential presidential candidacy, the former Socialist minister refrained from commenting, particularly on whether he had discussed the issue with the party’s secretary-general.
Augusto Santos Silva stated on Friday that António Vitorino’s decision not to run for president requires him to “rethink” his potential candidacy, with a decision to be announced next Wednesday.
Through a social media post, the former President of the Assembly of the Republic expressed that “the three candidacies formally presented so far do not exhaust the political space or the proposals and profiles that should be represented” and that, “due to his political qualities,” a candidacy by António Vitorino would be “welcome” for the presidency, a possibility dismissed by Vitorino himself the previous day.
“This fact forces me to reconsider the landscape of possible presidential candidacies, including the potential submission of my own,” he explained, adding that he will consult with individuals whose opinions he values in the coming days.
