Presidential elections: Seguro suggests that Gouveia e Melo wants to “trample the Constitution”

Former PS secretary-general António José Seguro today classified as an “insult to the Constitution” the idea launched by Admiral Gouveia e Melo of governments resigning for failure to fulfil electoral promises.

“The parliament is the one that assesses the fulfillment of the electoral promises during the four years and then, at the end, it is the people. This is very clear in the Constitution. In fact, anyone who thinks otherwise is committing a real violation of the Constitution”, he maintained, although without mentioning the text by the former Chief of Staff of the Navy and potential presidential candidate, Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo.

In a debate organized by SEDES (Association for Economic and Social Development) Jovem, in Lisbon, on democracy and representation, António José Seguro commented on the position taken by Gouveia e Melo, in an article in the weekly Expresso on Friday, that the President of the Republic could dismiss the Government due to “a serious gap” between electoral promises and political practice.

Seguro – who has already admitted that he is considering running for president in 2026 –, in response to a question from the audience, rejected the idea that it is up to the President of the Republic to evaluate electoral promises.

On the other hand, focusing on the issue of presidential powers, the former socialist leader said he agreed with the current powers that the Constitution attributes to the head of state and considered it a mistake to equate the rejection of a State Budget with a dissolution of parliament.

Upon leaving the debate, in response to journalists, he refused to comment on Gouveia e Melo's article, stating only that, at this moment, he has an “urgent need to listen to the Portuguese” to incorporate them into his reflection at a time when, he said, “democracy is under attack”.

“We have 81 thousand unemployed young people in Portugal, we are unable to attract and retain many young people who will seek professional and personal fulfillment outside our country and a country that cannot integrate its young people is a country without a future”, he warned.