Marques Mendes calls for moderation in discourse on immigration

Presidential candidate Luís Marques Mendes called for a “pedagogy of moderation” in his speech on immigration , arguing, however, that the measures were inevitable given what he described as “lack of control in recent years.”

Luís Marques Mendes was the guest speaker at the PSD/CDS-PP conference, which is taking place in Évora until Tuesday. The former PSD president is counting on his party's already-voted support for next year's January presidential elections, an issue on which the CDS-PP has not yet taken a position.

In his speech, Mendes once again promised that, if elected, he will fight for political stability and will make the fight against poverty one of his causes , a matter on which he even suggested holding an extraordinary Council of Ministers.

"We all need to make an effort, everyone, without exception, right and left, to be a tolerant society. Today, there's some excess of radicalism here and there. We must practice moderation," he argued.

As an example, he highlighted the issue of immigration, distinguishing between action and rhetoric. "After years of uncontrolled immigration, the need to take action, as several have been taken, was inevitable . And with some courage, measures like the end of the expression of interest," he stated, defending the PSD/CDS-PP executive's course of action in this area.

We all need to make an effort, everyone, without exception, right and left, to be a tolerant society. Today, there's some excess of radicalism here and there. We must practice moderation.

However, in his speech, he said he wanted to teach a pedagogy of moderation, which he saw as a “sign of maturity,” starting by highlighting immigration as an opportunity.

"It's an opportunity. Some think it's a problem. No, it's an opportunity if it's regulated and treated with due integration," he stated, considering that it should be viewed this way for a country that is losing population, for Social Security revenues, and for companies in need of labor.

Mendes also argued that Portugal has a responsibility towards the immigrants who came to Portugal in recent years "because the authorities allowed it." "It's not fair, it's not correct, it's not true that when any problem arises in the country, the immigrants are always to blame. Whether it's housing, security, or any other area (...) We must not adapt to this discourse of pettiness," he urged.

In his speech, lasting approximately 25 minutes, Marques Mendes paid high praise to the PSD parliamentary leader, Hugo Soares, whom he described as “one of the most talented in contemporary politics” , and also saluted the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, who was present at the dinner.

Before a room of deputies and leaders of the PSD and CDS-PP, the former social democratic leader once again defended stability, which he said was not “a sufficient condition for success, but a necessary condition” .

"Today, the conditions for governance are better than they were, but stability still needs to be ensured. It's no coincidence that the Constitution speaks of a four-year government, a legislative term," he stated, adding that this applies to any executive branch, whether left or right.

Therefore, he promised that, if elected, one of his priorities will be defending stability , doing everything possible to “avoid motions of censure, avoid motions of confidence and help parties negotiate State Budgets.”

On the international stage, he admitted that "there are risks ahead," highlighting the dangers of the "irrelevance of the United Nations" and the "total confusion" regarding trade tariffs, but argued that "now is not the time to sit idly by." "The time is, above all, to roll up our sleeves. In other words, in every difficulty, we must see a new opportunity," he urged.