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The PS has not yet taken an official position on the presidential elections, but there is already at least one prominent socialist to publicly assume support for the reevaluation of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. João Soares, former Minister of Culture and socialist leader, declared “support for the future candidacy of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa”, considering that the current President of the Republic “has had a positive job, sometimes even very positive, in the exercise of its functions”. he functions as president. “I want it to continue,” said the former mayor of Lisbon.
João Soares sees himself as “a man of the left”, but has “the conviction and desire” that a second term for Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa “may be even better than the one that ends”.
The statement was made on social media and surprised some socialists at a time when many are expecting the party to take an official position, scheduled for the next meeting of the National Commission, to speak. The meeting was scheduled for the 24th, but was postponed until the 31st, not to coincide with the reflection day of the regional elections in the Azores.
The only item on the agenda, scheduled for the Capitoline cinema in the Mayer Park in Lisbon, is “the analysis of the political situation and the presidential elections.”
In the last elections, in 2015, the PS decided almost a month earlier that it would give the militants the freedom to vote in the first round of the presidential elections. At that time, there were two nominations from the socialist area: Sampaio da Nóvoa and Maria de Belém.
Most likely, the PS decides to return the freedom to vote to its members.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa can count on the support of prominent socialists – such as Carlos César, president of the party, Ferro Rodrigues, president of the Assembly of the Republic, or Augusto Santos Silva, minister of Foreign Relations (all have already expressed themselves implicitly or explicitly in favor of Marcelo Continuity). For them, it is not about supporting the candidacy of Ana Gomes.
Carlos César made it clear very early that he would not be available to support a candidacy “distant from the people, rude and divisive.”
Santos Silva recently assumed that the PS should not support the former MEP. A position that caused tensions in the Government, with Pedro Nuno Santos recalling that “who decides who the PS supports are the party organs” and “no member of the Government.”
Ana Gomes waiting for more support from PS
Ana Gomes said again this week that she does not lack support within the game in which she fights.
The candidate guaranteed, in an interview with Público and Rádio Renascença, that “several members of the Government” have already told her that they will support her, but “they are waiting for the PS to make a decision on the matter.”
The official source of Ana Gomes ‘candidacy prefers not to react directly to João Soares’ support for the re-election of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, but recalls that the former MEP “has the support of many socialists.”
Vera Jardim, former Minister of Justice, Daniel Adrião, who belongs to the National Political Commission, Bacelar Vasconcelos, a Socialist deputy, and Luís Filipe Castro Mendes, former Minister of Culture of António Costa, have already publicly expressed their support.
Isabel Soares, director of the Colégio Moderno, daughter of Mário Soares and sister of João Soares, is also at the side of the socialist diplomat from the first hour.
«Many mayors, mayors and members of the António Costa government support Ana Gomes. For the sake of party discipline, the majority will reserve their position until after the meeting of the PS National Commission scheduled for three weeks from now, ”an official source of the candidacy guarantees SOL.
PAN and Livre also declared their support for the candidacy of Ana Gomes.
Ana Gomes’ pre-campaign started on October 5 with a call for young people to vote in the next presidential elections. The candidate, in an initiative at the Teatro da Trindade, in Lisbon, said she understood those who are disenchanted with politics, but left a “call to young people to fight against apathy, do not refrain, do not stop indignant, surrender to Portugal ».
Despite the fact that the polls point to a victory for Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in the first round, the candidate guaranteed that “in a Republic there are no coronations or early victories, it is the people who decide.”
Cesar refuses to discuss internal referendum
However, 22 members of the PS National Committee, from the minority current led by Daniel Adrião, advanced with a proposal for the militants to be consulted on the position that the party should assume in relation to the presidential elections.
The objective would be to debate in the meeting of the National Committee of the PS “to carry out a direct consultation with militants and supporters, electronically, on the position that the party will assume in the presidential elections.”
The party president has already responded to the request of this group of misaligned socialists and has refused to include the discussion of an internal consultation on the agenda. Carlos César, found SOL, argues that the proposal conflicts with the party’s statutes.
Marcelo just announced his candidacy in November
On the other hand, in addition to the statement by João Soares, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is receiving many other support, specifically from the PSD, although his reapplication has not yet been confirmed. Which, it must be said, should only happen in late November or even December. Marcelo wants to run a short campaign adapted to the pandemic.
The current president of the Republic has already guaranteed that, when he decides to run again, he will be available to hold debates with all the candidates.
On the right, André Ventura, from Chega, and Tiago Mayan Gonçalves, from Iniciativa Liberal, have already announced that they will enter the race.
On the left side, Marisa Matias runs again with the support of the Bloco de Esquerda and João Ferreira is the candidate of the communists. The Alliance can also present its own candidate.
Nobody expects surprises and until today all the presidents have been re-elected in the first round. So it was with Ramalho Eanes, Mário Soares, Jorge Sampaio and Cavaco Silva.
The best result in history was achieved by Mário Soares: he was reelected, in 1991, with more than 70% of the votes against Basílio Horta, Carlos Carvalhas and Carlos Marques. The OPSD chose, in these elections, to give implicit support to the founder of the PS.
