During remarks to journalists after dining at a Portuguese restaurant in Berlin, where he is on an official visit, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa emphasized that this year, due to the municipal election campaign, the annual ceremony on October 5th at Praça do Município in Lisbon, commemorating the Republic’s establishment, will involve only the flag-raising and national anthem.
“This is to prevent any potential claims that any occurrences are related to the election campaign, as we are in the final stretch, just a week before the elections,” explained Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The President stressed that the ceremony will be attended by representatives of the sovereignty bodies, including the Government, the Assembly of the Republic, the courts, and Lisbon’s local authorities (City Council and Municipal Assembly).
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also noted that this is not the first time speeches will be absent at the October 5th ceremony. The last occasion was in 2019, when speeches were also omitted due to the legislative election campaign.
