Admiral Gouveia e Melo has made a decision, although he is not yet ready to disclose it. In an interview with the Diário de Notícias, published on Friday, the admiral confirmed that he has “already made a decision” regarding his potential candidacy for President of the Republic. He clarified, however, that he will only reveal this decision “after the early Legislative Elections” scheduled for May 18.
“What I can tell you is that a decision has already been made. But I will only announce it after the Legislative Elections because now is the time for the Portuguese to be informed about different governance proposals for the country, and I don’t want to interfere with that,” stated Gouveia e Melo.
Despite his frequent public appearances at forums and conferences where he has shared his views on national matters, the admiral emphasized: “Not having announced my candidacy does not, on the other hand, take away my right to intervene politically or to respond to occasional invitations—and express what I think on certain issues,” he asserted.
“I don’t feel obliged to stay silent,” he added emphatically.
Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo is the frontrunner for the 2026 presidential elections, this according to a poll by the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS) and ISCTE for SIC and Expresso, conducted at the end of January. He is favored by a majority of Portuguese voters against any of the candidates that have been mentioned, regardless of the scenario.
The analysis indicates that Gouveia e Melo holds 25% of the voting intentions.
The SIC/Expresso survey points to André Ventura as the candidate most likely to advance to the second round.
Notícias ao Minuto | 20:38 – 30/01/2025
As of now, there are already eight candidates for the Presidential elections: Luís Marques Mendes, Mariana Leitão, Manuela Magno, Aristides Teixeira, Orlando Cruz, André Ventura, André Pestana, and Tim Vieira.
