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A month and a half after the presidential elections, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was this Friday at the Jornal da Noite for the first interview since he announced that he is running again for the presidency. The SEF case, the pandemic, the TAP and the reapplication to Belém were some of the topics covered in the interview.
Silence in the SEF case
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa explains that he does not speak of cases that are under criminal investigation and that, therefore, he did not publicly refer to the case of assault and murder of Ihor Homeniúk, the Ukrainian citizen who died at Lisbon airport in March.
“I am not going to anticipate the judgment of the courts,” said the President of the Republic, highlighting that it is his principle not to take a public position when the process is underway. However, Ricardo Costa recalls that in the Pedrógão and Borba cases the Head of State did not comply with the principle that he now invokes.
In an interview with SIC, the President of the Republic reinforces that spoke about the case in April, discussed the matter with the Prime Minister “on countless occasions”, but he felt he should not take the talks to the public. Marcelo added that, after having mentioned the matter in May, no journalist questioned him about the case in the following months. .
Given the notes of regret from the Presidency of the Republic for the death of the singers David Bowie, Prince and George Michael, and the absence of any reference to the case of Ihor Homeniúk, Marcelo affirmed that he never contacted “neither victims nor relatives” .
“I understood that the President of Portugal should not pick up the phone and call Ukraine and make an exception to his procedure in Portugal,” he said, adding that this would be seen “as a discussion in the activity of other Portuguese authorities and an anticipation of the judgment on that matter. “
Regarding the resignation of Eduardo Cabrita, Marcelo recalls the statements by António Costa, where he says he has confidence in the Minister of the Interior.
“The minister did not submit a request to resign. The president of the Republic, as you know, exonerates the ministers or secretaries of state at the proposal of the prime minister,” says the Head of State.
TAP restructuring and audit of Novo Banco
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says that he has not yet received the restructuring plan that was presented in the Assembly of the Republic and in Brussels, but claims to be aware of the seriousness of what TAP may be facing.
The president considers that “a restructuring must be carried out and the price of the restructuring must be paid”, because the airline is “one of the links of our Portuguese communities.” The Head of State considers that this process is the responsibility of the Government and must go through Brussels.
“The Assembly has a word to say yes, if there are deductions budgetary”, He clarified.
Asked about the Novo Banco audit, Marcelo affirms that he was referring to the Delloite audit and not to that of the Court of Accounts (TdC). Regarding the powers of the TdC to carry out this audit, the President says that no opinion was requested.
“It was a decision of those who could make it. They did not ask the opinion of the President of the Republic. Obviously, the Court of Accounts has limits, with due respect, in a matter as sophisticated as this, ”said the Head of State.
Lack of Flu Vaccines and Management of a Pandemic
The Head of State states that, in the case of lack of flu vaccines, he relied on the information provided by the Minister of Health and, when he realized that the number of doses was not enough for all Portuguese, he publicly took responsibility.
“When I have the Minister of Health who guarantees me and the Portuguese that at this moment there are vaccines for everyone and that they are vaccinated until December, I properly thought that the minister who was there making a public commitment was to believe,” said the President .
With the arrival of vaccines against covid-19, and with the possibility that they are also missing, Marcelo recalls that “there are vaccines that are overdue” and that we cannot count on them being available in early January, as is the case with AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.
The expectation created in Portuguese about vaccination against new coronavirus It is one of the concerns of the president, who guarantees to speak regularly with the prime minister on this matter. Marcelo remembers that vaccination only occurs when the second dose is taken.
“I know it is something that worries the Prime Minister, not to create high expectations,” says Marcelo.
The permanence of Portugal in a state of emergency was also a question that was posed to the President of the Republic, who considers that normality can only occur “when the number of cases is being reduced to such an extent that its projection in hospitalizations and intensive care allows to consider the stabilized Reality without risk of triggering the situation. [pandémica]”.
Candidacy for Belém and the new right-wing parties
Even leading the voting intentions for the Presidential, Marcelo has been losing popularity in recent months. As a candidate, he knows that he will not reach the historical value that Mário Soares achieved in the 1991 presidential elections, that is, 70% of the votes.
“Mário soares is unrepeatable. Nobody had their past during the dictatorship, in the revolution and after the revolution, “says the Head of State, reinforcing that,” there was an abbey. ”
In addition, the president affirms that the pandemic is also a factor that could lower the percentage of votes, compared to the historical socialist leader. However, Marcelo recalls the consensus he managed to reach in this term.
“I managed to reach a country divided into two hemispheres that hated each other, they stopped hating each other so much,” he said, highlighting that “right or wrong, a fundamental consensus has been reached.”
The president believes that when there is a political crisis in the government supported by the left, there must be an alternative to the right that has “enough vigor to replace it.” Regarding the appearance of Chega, the Head of State emphasizes that he warned about the creation of anti-system parties.
“The answer depends on the other parties of the right or of the left, which may want to maximize the weight of the new party” if they do so “at the center of their strategies,” said Marcelo.
SIC / Expresso Survey: Marcelo with 66% voting intentions
A ICS and ISCTE survey conducted for SIC and Expresso points to a weak victory for Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in the presidential elections, with 66% of the voting intentions.
Ana Gomes remains in second place with only four points ahead of André Ventura, who remains ahead of Marisa Matias and João Ferreira.
The study also reveals that almost 80% of those surveyed are satisfied with the performance of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in the last five years.
As Presidential election 2021 will take place on January 24.
