Among the traditional selfies, It was in a farewell tone that President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited Barreiro on December 24th, where he had lunch and drank ginjinha, as he does every year. Counting down to leave Belém, the President spoke to journalists about the last few years and left a message of “peace”.
It was during the ginjinha toast that Marcelo appealed for peace, also celebrating “Barreiro” and “Portugal”, surrounded by people. “Peace in the world is fundamental, because peace in the world and in Europe means peace for us. It means not having, next year and in the following years, the consequences of not having peace, economic, personal, social”, he told journalists.
In this assessment made to the media, the head of state reflected that the “worst” two years were those of the covid-19 pandemic. “I think for all of us. The big problem I had was the years of pandemic”, highlighted.
The year 2023, marked by the fall of the Government with an absolute majority of the Socialist Party (PS), classified it as “a perfect storm” and cited some of the events. “It happened that, on November 7th, the prime minister resigned, so a period opens up that will be very long until the elections. Therefore, there is a political crisis”these.
At the same time, he did not shy away from controversial issues that marked his last term. “At the same time, there was a very strong attack, or at least not an attack, but a very heavy atmosphere on the President of the Republic”he said, regarding the case.
He recalled that, on December 24, 2023, when he visited the same place, the subject was the twins. “When I arrived here in 2023, all we talked about was the twins.” Asked if he had already made peace with his son, also involved in the controversy, he stated, with a smile, that “at the right time that will happen”.
Delay in choosing State advisors
The President took the opportunity to criticize Parliament’s delay in electing new State counselors and highlighted that he has been waiting for six months. “The State Council has been unable to function, waiting for the election of State councilors by the Assembly of the Republic for six months. The Assembly has been in office for six months and I have been waiting [pela eleição] six months ago”criticized.
He recalled that it is important that this decision is made before leaving the presidency. “It is not very natural for the President of the Republic to leave office without the Council of State, with its composition, which is legal, being unable to assess this matter.. And therefore, I waited for this election, which was supposed to be on December 19th. There was none,” he stated.
Even without the election, considering the issue “fundamental”, Marcelo called a meeting of the State Council for January 9th. The topic will be Ukraine. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said it did not seem sensible to him that, “when fundamental decisions are being made about Ukraine”, these matters are discussed in the Superior Council for National Defense, but not in the Council of State, when issues such as “Europe’s position in terms of financial support to Ukraine” are at stake, which compromise the State due to the issuance of joint European debt, or “a military or non-Portuguese commitment in the event of a ceasefire”.
amanda.lima@dn.pt