Democratic maturity. Perhaps this is the most important phrase expressed in António José Seguro’s (AJS) speech at his inauguration as the new president of the Republic.
Democratic maturity is what is lacking not only in political parties, but in many institutions that place their interests and selfishness ahead of the priorities of the national whole.
The day after his inauguration, I heard AJS make an almost piercing appeal to the Government, employers and UGT to resume negotiations on the reform of labor legislation.
Therefore, the use of the presidential word began, one of the most important instruments that the President of the Republic has to reverse this unhealthy tendency that institutions and parties have of putting their petty interests ahead of national needs. In this case, it is about finding a consensus around a new format of labor legislation, a structural reform that is so necessary for the country. Let’s see what the result of this first appeal from the new President is!
AJS’s inauguration speech was an endless review of the old constraints that continue to mark Portuguese society and which, precisely due to the immaturity of parties and institutions, their inability to dialogue, continue to penalize the Portuguese with low wages, lack of housing, disorganized and inefficient healthcare, obsolete public transport, suffocating bureaucracy, a slow and ineffective public service and a Justice that never stops surprising us in the negative.
I don’t know if presidential appeals will do much to contribute to resolving these issues that already seem to be our modern civilizational drama.
Naturally, AJS’s intentions are good and the choice the new President made in launching a challenge to all parties to reach a pact on Health is even risky. Pact of parties and Health! Now here is a reality that appears to be a square of the circle. What can we say about this? Perhaps wish the new President of the Republic good luck and ask the gods to dossier da Saúde do not suffer the same fate as Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s homeless people. Oxalá!
The new President also wants stability! It’s very correct. Political stability is a “good thing”, as young people would say on a Saturday night. Nobody seems to be willing to go back to the polls to cast votes that could be useless again.
But if we don’t see winds of change, if everything remains inert, if Montenegro doesn’t wake up from the lethargy into which it seems to have fallen, what good is stability for us? Maintain a rotten peace? For what? Maintaining the current parliamentary political configuration is only justified if we start to see the country move. Otherwise, it is preferable to throw a stone in the pond and trigger new elections.
António José Seguro assumes presidential duties at a time of great international sensitivity. Even though his inauguration speech did not give much space to the subject of wars, which Trump and Putin have spread around the world, they are beginning to have heavy economic and financial consequences.
Inflation, price increases, shortages of essential products for logistical reasons. These are realities that we may have to face more acutely if the current war conflicts worsen and are not resolved soon.
AJS’s inauguration speech was a summary of what he said during the election campaign. You dossiers National and international competitions that you will have to face will not give you rest. You will have to be assertive and have great persuasive skills, effective words at the right time, decision-making capacity and a healthy understanding with the prime minister so that your presidential judiciary can be successful.
Some of the issues that can be seen on the horizon and that we talked about above will require great political sensitivity and negotiation capacity. Some are so complicated that when the presidential say is exhausted, perhaps presiding over the Council of Ministers could help.
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