Marcelo believes that the rejection of the motion facilitates political stability

The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, considered today that by rejecting the motion of censure presented by Chega, the Assembly of the Republic wanted the Government to remain in office, which “facilitates the stability of political life”.

“By rejecting a motion of censure, the Assembly of the Republic made it clear that the Government remained in office. This was a factor of stabilization in Portuguese political life,” he told journalists, on the sidelines of the Correntes d'Escritas meeting, which is taking place in Póvoa de Varzim, where he traveled for the closing session.

The President of the Republic was referring to the motion of censure presented by Chega, entitled “For the end of a Government without integrity, led by a Prime Minister under serious suspicion”, originating from the situation of the company of which Luís Montenegro was a partner until June 2022 and which now belongs to his wife and children, and which was rejected on Friday.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa highlighted that the Assembly of the Republic could have understood the opposite, that the Government should cease its functions.

“The motion of censure may have several grounds, but it has only one objective: to bring down the Government. And so, what happens is that the Assembly of the Republic, by rejecting the motion of censure, wanted to say 'this Government remains in office'”, he added.

The President of the Republic noted that, in a year in which local elections are very close, between September and October, and presidential elections three months later, this decision “facilitates the stability of Portuguese political life”.

Furthermore, it also makes life easier for the President of the Republic, “whose intention is not – until September, from September onwards he does not have the power to dissolve – to have any type of political crisis or interruption in political activity in this cycle of national life”, he stressed.

From this moment on, “the framework in which we will move in the coming months has been defined”, he stated, recalling that practically all the candidates for local power are known, the local electoral pre-campaign has begun, and the candidates for the Presidency of the Republic are already known.

When asked about his opinion on Admiral Gouveia e Melo's candidacy for Belém, the head of state declined to respond, arguing that he does not comment on “candidacies and even less on profiles that could culminate in candidacies”.

He took the opportunity, however, to highlight that in the past, and up until his term, all presidents were different and different from each other, and independent of the parties.

Regarding the future approval of the Land Law, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa highlighted that there may still be changes, particularly in matters that “are considered more urgent or more sensitive”.

“Some issues in the law are still open to reconsideration. And then, depending on that, when I receive the law, naturally, I will have to enact the law or not enact the law, but if that happens, we will see at the time”, he said.

Asked about the role that Portugal will assume in the context of the war in Ukraine, at a time when we are living in times of increasing extremism and polarization in relation to the conflict, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stated that “Portugal is already assuming this role”.

“A Portuguese [António Costa] is taking over as President of the European Council, who has played an important role together with the President of the Commission and the President of the European Parliament, to unite Europe, so that Europe has the conditions to not only not be excluded from the Ukraine process, but to play an important role in the future, because it is necessary to guarantee, if there is a fair process, a fair peace, security for Ukraine”, he argued.

For the head of state, this security passes through Europe, but “it should also pass through the United States of America”.