“We are more than a year away” from choosing next president
The weekend’s news was filled with breathless reporting on who had (and who still hasn’t) thrown their hat into the ring for looming presidential elections.
PS Socialists have begun bickering among themselves over which candidate would be better (both with first names António), Iniciativa Liberal has named its candidate, CHEGA its and now PSD.
But as minister for parliamentary affairs Pedro Duarte said today, this has all shown “excessive speed” – quite why/ what for, is unclear.
“There is time for everything”, he said, speaking to journalists in Porto.
“We are more than a year away from the presidential elections, probably more than a year away, we still don’t have a date, and we are eight months away from the local elections,” he pointed out – which many would see as a great deal more important.
“I think that with tranquility, serenity, with time management, which, you will understand, is sometimes not exactly the time of the media, but the time of those who are exercising their functions, we will be able to communicate what decisions were taken,” said Duarte, who is also president of the PSD district of Porto.
Regarding the local elections, there came the questions of whether he, Pedro Duarte, would be a candidate for Porto City Council. The answer: right now Duarte is “very focused on serving the country in the role” of minister: “I intend to continue to be committed to this role as minister in the coming times. There will certainly be a time when I will reflect on this.
“I don’t hide it, I’ve never hidden it, that I am from Porto, I was born in Porto, I have always lived in Porto, and I have a special passion for this city”.
Candidacies of former PS health minister Manuel Pizarro, Diana Ferreira (CDU), former mayor Nuno Cardoso and Vitorino Silva, better known as Tino de Rans, have already been confirmed for Porto City Council.
Local elections are scheduled to take place between September 22 and October 14 (a date is still to be set) – and with the country being run by a minority PSD/ CDS-PP government, politicians of those parties will be hoping for some sizable gains.
In the meantime, the fevered reporting on who aspires to take over when president Marcelo steps down after two five-year terms may well give way to focus on immediate issues, like tariffs looming from the United States and threatening national businesses.
Source material: LUSA
