The presidential candidate Henrique Gouveia e Melo addressed remarks made by André Ventura, who accused the former admiral of having rhetoric similar to the Socialist Party and being unable to put the country “in order.”
“That’s politics. I’m not going to get into this ‘he said, she said’ […]. “I won’t dedicate myself to ‘he said, she said’,” he stated to journalists in Viana do Castelo when questioned about the issue.
Gouveia e Melo was also asked about potential support from Pedro Passos Coelho for other candidacies. This comes after reports that associates of the former prime minister are preparing to support the presidential candidate António José Seguro, and the fact that candidate Cotrim Figueiredo mentioned that support from the former Social Democratic prime minister would be “natural.”
“[That] is an issue not related to my candidacy. Those are other candidacies. They will do what they think best to garner the support they think best,” he remarked.
Ventura also spoke yesterday about Passos, reiterating that he would be “a good candidate for Belém,” suggesting that this could allow for a focus on the opposition.
The presidential candidate João Cotrim Figueiredo expressed today that support from Pedro Passos Coelho for his candidacy would be natural and considered this scenario “clearly” feasible as they are “who is closest” to his political orientation.
“My candidacy is focused on being independent. I am not in a second Legislative election; I am in a Presidential election. I want to represent all Portuguese people,” he assured, emphasizing his concern with matters “that are important at this moment,” especially those related to the economy, housing, and health.
Reflecting on the data showing nearly two million people living in poverty in Portugal, Henrique Gouveia e Melo deemed this a “pressing” matter. “20% of our population is on the poverty line. Without state subsidies, they would fall into poverty. That is what’s worrying,” he reinforced, asserting that the state cannot “stifle” the economy.
Political Experience? “Don’t say I lack it”
Gouveia e Melo also admitted he lacks “partisan politics experience” but rejected the notion of having no political experience.
“Don’t say I lack political experience because politics is about solving problems for the population, the community. I think I’ve proven that exhaustively. I don’t need to prove it any further,” he observed.
Regarding accusations from presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes that “there are two Gouveias e Melo, one from the vaccination era and another that has slipped into the national politics quirks”, the admiral replied that he remains the same.
“He would like that to be true. There’s only one Gouveia e Melo, who is always the same. I’m not immune to criticisms. When I make a generic observation about what the president’s qualities should be in the coming period, or their lack of qualities, some feel targeted. But the problem lies with those who think the inadequacies I pointed out fit them like a glove,” he stated.
Gouveia e Melo insisted that he did not mention anyone by name in his Wednesday speech, when he warned that the future President cannot be a “Trojan horse” for a party or a populist demagogue.
“I didn’t mention names, while others always mention mine. The other day, I made a speech outlining what would be, in general terms, the qualities a president should have, and what qualities they shouldn’t possess. People immediately started relating themselves to the inadequacies. I don’t have that problem. I referred to it in abstract terms,” he assured.
For Gouveia e Melo, it is about “politics.”
“I didn’t say it was person A, or person B, or person C. I’m just saying that this quality or lack of it should not be something that’s beneficial in the next presidency because the next presidency will face challenging times, whether in security and defense, or in the economy since the economy is set to cool down,” he warned.
The candidate advocates for “a higher value-added economy that allows for fair compensation for the Portuguese.”
“That’s what truly concerns me,” he emphasized.
