António José Seguro, a president of Portugal with an institutional profile without the protagonist eagerness of his predecessors

surpassed the 3,459,521 votes obtained by Mário Soares upon his re-election, in 1991.

It is historical result It reinforces the responsibility of the position and, according to him, gives him greater “authority vis-à-vis the Government and the parties”, essential to foster a desired “culture of commitment”, as he stated in his victory speech.

With a extensive career in national and European politicsSure built a public reputation marked by valuing dialogue and scrupulous respect for the rules of the democratic regime.

Former Secretary General of the Socialist Party and former Member of the European Parliamentnever stood out for confrontational strategies nor by a personalistic leadership style.

He was leader of the PS in the opposition during the Government of Pedro Passos Coelho, between 2011 and 2014, but would end up losing the leadership of the party to António Costa in the 2015 internal elections.

One of its most notable characteristics is its constant commitment to understanding and consensus.

As opposition leader, granted margin of governability to Passos Coelho, even in the face of criticism from left-wing parties. He frequently sought negotiated solutions, both internally and in dialogue with other political forces.

Arbitration vocation

This attitude points to a president with an arbitration vocation, focused on political stability and the regular functioning of institutions.

In contrast to more interventionist or media-oriented presidents, António José Seguro will tend to carry out the position with restraint, rigorously respecting the constitutional limits of the presidential function.

Instruments like the political veto, public intervention or the eventual dissolution of Parliament They would be used with caution and only in contexts of clear institutional need, in accordance with their trajectory and the positions assumed during the campaign.

The positions adopted throughout the campaign allow us to anticipate the profile of the future president.

Seguro repeatedly appealed to the unity of the portuguesedefending the urgency of recovering the sense of community and promote “serene change” that contributes to improving the quality of life of all generations.

It was presented as a candidate committed to political dialogue and democratic stability, claiming to be capable of integrating different political sensitivities and safeguarding constitutional values.

He also highlighted the role of the parishes and local power as essential elements for a more cohesive, fair and territorially balanced country, recognizing them as pillars of democracy and fundamental allies to respond to the specific needs of the population.

Surely criticized the logic of the so-called “governments in power”, in reference to the succession of short political cycles in Portuguese politics, and defended the need for policies and governments with strategic vision, capable of addressing the country’s structural problems instead of short-term solutions.

His campaign also highlighted the importance of protecting democracy, the rule of law and constitutional principles, positioning itself against speeches that it considered hostile to the current democratic system.

He defended a “open presidency”, based on greater proximity to citizens, especially in territories affected by crisis situations – as recently occurred with Storm Kristin -, committing to maintain direct and regular contact with citizens.

In the field of foreign policy, he stated that Portugal must remain within the framework of the OTAN and privilege international action based on diplomacy and the promotion of peace.

Now as President of the Republic, António José Seguro will continue to reside in Caldas da Rainhawhere he currently lives, resorting to the apartment he owns in Lisbon when he needs to spend the night in the capital.

He Belém Palace will be used exclusively as a workplace, and the next five years will determine how he will exercise his mandate.

Ventura, the loser of the date

André Ventura ended up increasing his vote in these presidential elections. He obtained more than 1.7 million votes, around 300,000 more than those achieved by He arrives in the legislative elections, which indicates the recruitment of new voters.

On the other hand, despite presenting himself as a leader of the right in Portugal —claiming to have obtained a higher percentage than the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, in the last legislative elections—, failed to fully mobilize the right-wing electorate, which exceeds two million votes in the legislative elections and in the first round of the presidential elections.

Thus, although Ventura continues to grow electorally, its National rejection rate remains high, especially within the political space that he aspires to lead: he lost in all the districts of the country and only won in two municipalities.

In fact, one of the factors that explains António José Seguro’s result was the concentration of the vote of voters opposed to André Ventura.