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An “intentional choice”. This is how Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa described the decision to appoint José Tavares as president of the Court of Accounts. In the assisting judge’s inauguration speech, which took place this Wednesday in Lisbon, the President of the Republic said he had no doubts when choosing the new leadership – “He who comes from home, does not go out” -, he left words of gratitude to Vítor Caldeira (the non-reelected president) and recalled that José Tavares will have “without exception, the supportive support of the President of the Republic, as always ”.
Regarding Vítor Caldeira, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa began by speaking of a feeling of “national gratitude” for “having exceeded all the many expectations of four years ago.” And he also assured that the election of the new successor will not pave the way for corruption: corruption or the control of who is supposed to control them and continue to control them ”.
The single mandate criterion, which according to Prime Minister António Costa was set with the President of the Republic and, therefore, Vítor Caldeira was not re-elected, also deserved an explanation from Marcelo. “The constitutional revision of 1997 established a single mandate for the President of the Court of Accounts and the Attorney General of the Republic, preventing them from perpetuating their position. Since then, I have drawn attention to this careful revision of the constitution, ”he said.
As for the new president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa assured that it was a “transparent replacement” and that he did not have “a second of doubt.” In the first place, it is someone who “comes from home, does not come from outside, with 38 years of tireless institutional dedication.” “The choice was intentional: show that the path follows the course followed up to now. It does not change and cannot change course. Because that course is the correct one. The new president worked closely with the successive presidents, “said the president of the Republic, adding that the advising judge is someone” who deserved the persistent trust of the previous presidents. “
When listing the reasons for the election of the new president of the Court of Accounts, Marcelo repeated again that “the election was intentional.” And this time he underlines “someone who faithfully executed superior guidelines, in the quest to technically prevent conflicts, at the risk of personal exposure.” The fact that Rui Rio, the PSD leader, helped and accepted this choice, Marcelo added, also influenced the decision.
The new president deserved, in addition to the government’s proposal, the acceptance of the opposition leadership before the reception by the President of the Republic and, I must emphasize, this agreement by the opposition leader was very important in the presidential decision. The choice was also intentional here: to be someone more accepted by the opposition than by the Government“Said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Rui Rio helped choose the successor to the Court of Auditors
Marcelo also warned José Tavares that, throughout his career as president of the TdC, he will encounter “criticism and open or covert campaigns to try to stop, condition, weaken the institution and those responsible first.” But he assured that he will have, “without exception, the supportive support of the President of the Republic, as he always said.”
The President of the Republic who today fully assumes the decision [quarta-feira] formalized. THEIR [uma decisão] the President of the Republic, that is, is mine and no one else’s.. Always and only thinking of Portugal ”, concluded Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
José Tavares was appointed president of the Court of Accounts this Tuesday by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at the proposal of Prime Minister António Costa. The judge judge will thus replace Vítor Caldeira, who was not re-elected.
On the same day of this decision, the Observer reported that José Tavares was questioned by the Public Ministry about his participation in the solution to circumvent the initiative of the TdC, in 2009, to the contracts of Public Private Associations (PPP) road, which harmed to the State in around 3,500 million euros.
PPP case. José Tavares was interrogated by the Public Ministry in 2019
In his speech this Wednesday, José Tavares affirmed that he will fight for an “impartial, exempt and high ethical standards” court that guarantees control of the management of public resources, whether national or European. “It is with a deep sense of public interest that I assume the position of President of the Court of Accounts,” he said during the opening ceremony.
Throughout my mandate and through concrete actions, always based on dialogue, I will always fight for an independent, impartial, impartial tribunal, with high ethical and professional standards, attentive to the world around us and with a strong pedagogical sense regarding to public entities. “, He is stressed.
The president of TdC also stated that one of his commitments will be to promote “a Court of Auditors that acts wisely and solidlyCurrently, “guaranteeing control over the management of public resources and the use of public resources, whether national or European Union.”
The new president of the TdC also highlighted the “drive and desire for modernity, innovation and institutional evolution” that he intends to achieve throughout his mandate. José Tavares wants “a court that combines tradition and institutionality with the search for modernity and excellence, in a systematic search for answers aimed at good public governance, the prevention of waste, fraud and corruption.”
The new president of the TdC also expressed the desire to “continue building solutions and consensus”, underlining that the values that should guide the performance of the court are “independence, integrity, responsibility and transparency.”
In modern States, the function of financial control by a Court of Accounts (…) is one of the best guarantees for the management of public affairs ”, which“ is required by the legitimate interest of taxpayers to know the destination of your taxes with the greatest possible transparency. ”, José Tavares maintained.
The new president of the TdC, José Fernandes Farinha Tavares, was between 1995 and February of this year director general of the institution and chief of staff of the outgoing president, having been linked to that court for 34 years.
(Article updated at 9:14 p.m.)
