“Any scenario [of a possible runoff] involving André Ventura as a candidate is the worst that Portugal could face,” stated João Costa.
At the start of a meeting with presidential candidate Catarina Martins, supported by the BE, the former socialist minister dismissed interpretations of support for the former BE coordinator, affirming his backing for António José Seguro, former PS secretary-general and the socialist-backed candidate.
The former official expressed “great sympathy” for Catarina Martins and praised her potential contributions to the electoral debate.
João Costa remarked that “these presidential elections are peculiar,” noting the presence of “numerous candidates” and “significant division” on both the left and right sides.
However, in a potential runoff scenario, the former Minister of Education argued that it is crucial for the contest to be between António José Seguro and another candidate.
In such a situation, he advocated for all left-wing candidacies to converge their support on the PS-backed candidate.
The presence of André Ventura, president of Chega, on the runoff ballots would represent a vote for “all the hatred, racism, and xenophobia” that he accuses the far-right leader of spreading.
Catarina Martins, who temporarily left the meeting to address the European Parliament, as she is the BE’s sole MEP, commented that despite their differences regarding the Education portfolio, she and João Costa always agreed on “inclusion.”
Pointing the finger at André Ventura and Chega, the former BE coordinator criticized the reading of children’s names in the Assembly of the Republic, condemning the act for focusing on the families’ origins, even though these students have the right to attend Portuguese education and are mostly national citizens.
