“The only thing I ask is a bit more elevation in the language he uses to classify me,” responded Admiral Gouveia e Melo when questioned about accusations of making nonsensical statements and rash decisions by fellow candidate Marques Mendes.
Speaking to journalists after a visit and meeting at the University of Évora, Gouveia e Melo refused to engage in what he termed a “small war” of accusations, suggesting it might be intriguing for the media but not for the Portuguese people.
What truly matters to the Portuguese, he emphasized, are the challenges of the depopulated interior, arguing that the economy is “not sufficiently productive to establish a well-funded state capable of developing social mobility.”
When questioned about Marques Mendes’ critique on RTP, which downplayed his vaccination campaign experience as insufficient for the Presidency, Gouveia e Melo highlighted the operation’s success.
“I have experience in solving a complex issue that, at the time, the political system was unable to resolve. Please, be fair with me,” he emphasized.
The presidential candidate noted he hasn’t been showcasing these achievements or discussing them during the pre-campaign, and urged others not to diminish the collective efforts of the Portuguese during the vaccination process.
Regarding this criticism, Gouveia e Melo dismissed it as “a fallacious argument,” and accused those who use it of reducing the discourse to mere politicking.
“What matters is the experience, the experience of solving problems,” he stated.
The former Navy Chief of Staff argued that “parties have become closed off, unable to attract the best from society for renewal,” pointing towards the necessity of such renewal.
“Some waters have been stagnant for a long time, and stagnant waters cause solutions to decay. These stagnant waters also harbor inhabitants who have remained there for too long, and I would like to see these inhabitants renewed,” he remarked.
According to the admiral, “politics must be rejuvenated with people from outside the typical stagnant waters and political-partisan scheming,” who can resolve issues, and his presidential candidacy aims to contribute to this renewal.
Regarding Marques Mendes’ assertion on RTP about having already proven his independence, Gouveia e Melo mentioned, with irony, the latest instance: “It was a former president trying to politicize the presidential race, which is not in the Constitution,” he pointed out.
