The President of the Republic, António José Seguro, ended his speech at the official Portugal Day ceremony, held in Angra do Heroísmo, on the island of Terceira (Azores), as an appeal to hope, which he identified as “one of the words in the world that combats polarization” among the Portuguese.
Speaking of “trenches times”marked by “anxieties” linked to the economy, geopolitics and security in cities, which “create the impulse to close ranks and build walls”, Seguro said that “middle words are increasingly missing”described as “more tolerance than exclusion” and “more availability than withdrawal”, which he considered to be “an antidote to the virus of polarization, which tends to replace argumentation, debate and negotiation”.
António José Seguro presented his electionin a second round of the presidential elections disputed with Chega leader, André Ventura, as having been marked by the desire to unite the Portuguese. And he returned to an expression that is very dear to him, referring to the homeland as “a common ground where there is room for everyone“, including those with different origins and beliefs, to conclude that Portugal lives in a time “that asks us for the courage to make difficult choices, without giving in to populism”.
The President of the Republic also left messages for Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who applauded his speech, regretting that many young people continue to leave Portugal because “what was gained in qualifications has not been matched in remuneration” and housing “is practically unaffordable” for family budgets.
In that regard, Seguro called for “policies that retain talent instead of exporting it”, “salaries that reflect productivity and qualifications”, “housing that allows young people to build a life in the country where they were born” or a State “that simplifies instead of complicating”.
The first speech by the former secretary general of the PS on the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities began with a quote from the Azorean writer Vitorino Nemésio – “When I think about the sea, the sea returns” -, which served as a motto for a reflection on the way in which the Atlantic taught the Portuguese “to look further”, with a vision that shaped the collective soul, “resilient in the face of storms, humble in the face of immensity and determined in the face of the unknown”.
The strategic importance of the Azores – and in particular the island of Terceira, where the Lajes base, used by the United States, is located – led the President of the Republic to subliminally address Portugal’s relations with the current North American administrationstating that it is a place that requires us to assume responsibilities and duties, “within the framework of the full affirmation of our sovereignty, our interests and our strategic future”. Stressing that this occurs “always with mutual respect for what is assumed, whether with a country or with the international community and the Charter of the United Nations”, something that he made a point of identifying as a situation that “is not dissociated from the others”.
