In a television debate broadcast by RTP, which unfolded in a calm atmosphere without interruptions, the candidate supported by Livre asserted that the President of the Republic should serve as a “democratic counterbalance” and highlighted Marques Mendes’ “legitimate decades-long history” within the PSD, a party he once led.
“The Portuguese should not place all their eggs in one basket, doing so is a disservice to the country,” he stated.
Luís Marques Mendes, backed by PSD and CDS-PP, responded that if elected in the presidential elections on January 18, he will be “strictly independent” and invoked examples from his predecessors in Belém.
“I will be a President of the Republic like Mário Soares, Jorge Sampaio, Cavaco Silva, and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. All of them came from their parties and, whether one agrees or not, they were independent,” he proclaimed.
The Livre deputy emphasized the topic, proclaiming there has never been “such a large hegemony,” noting that the PSD leads the Government of the Republic, the two Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira, and the country’s main municipalities.
Mendes countered with an example he deemed would “completely dismantle” this theory: “Thirty years ago, in 1995 and the ensuing years, there was a Socialist President, Jorge Sampaio, and a Socialist Prime Minister, António Guterres. No one complained, it wasn’t problematic.”
The fight against corruption emerged as another key topic, with Luís Marques Mendes reiterating that the first Council of State he calls will be dedicated to justice sector reforms, adding that before this meeting, he will summon the president of the Supreme Court, the director of Polícia Judiciária, and the Attorney General to Belém.
“To ask them a very specific question: what more do you need in terms of resources? What is required in terms of laws?” he said.
Jorge Pinto countered, preferring to tackle corruption from a prevention perspective, suggesting a monitoring committee to supervise major projects.
Regarding the main role attributed to the President of the Republic, the candidate supported by Livre considered it to be “the safety valve” that protects democracy, proposing a study on the “democratic resilience” of institutions.
Marques Mendes pointed out that his primary goal will be to cultivate ambition within the country and “elevate Portugal,” lamenting the many social inequalities that still exist.
“Pensioners will have a 2.8% increase in 2026, which is good but very limited,” he considered, refusing to criticize the Government, which he noted even proposes going “beyond the law” with an extraordinary supplement if feasible.
The candidates differed on the possibility of a constitutional revision carried out solely by the right—with Mendes believing “nothing like that will happen”—or regarding the appointment of Judge Carlos Alexandre to the commission against fraud in the National Health Service.
While Jorge Pinto viewed it as “a government marketing ploy,” Luís Marques Mendes regarded it as “a good decision,” arguing the judge “commands respect, if not fear.”
Finally, when questioned about the situation in Venezuela, both agreed that the President should be informed on the matter and that the Government should have an emergency plan ready, with Mendes using the last minutes of the debate to emphasize the significance he intends to place on Portuguese communities and alerting to the lack of investment in teaching Portuguese abroad.
