Expected to announce bid for presidency in March/ April
Behind the scenes speculation on the future plans of Portugal’s lofty Admiral Gouveia e Melo has been fizzing for months.
The country’s ‘vaccine czar’ who shot to international fame during the pandemic by dint of his military efficiency has been variously described as ‘the hot favourite’ for the country’s next president – a change from the current incumbent, and a much-desired change at that.
Stories have equally peppered the media about the determination of Portugal’s current incumbent, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to ensure that the Admiral doesn’t stand as president.
Mr Rebelo de Sousa has since stressed nothing could be further from the truth.
But today, the focus shifted slightly in that the admiral has now ‘informed the Admiralty Council that he is unavailable to continue for another two years at the head of the Navy’s General Staff, with his mandate officially ending’ by December 27 this year.
Expresso carries a double-page spread on what this all implies, but it has already been widely accepted that Gouveia e Melo could be ‘unbeatable’ if he runs for the presidency.
Even the fact that he wants to keep himself “free of political parties” adds to his allure (few are enthused by the country’s political ‘elite’ these days, especially after this morning’s shenanigans).
Thus, there is a deep sense of unease among the political parties – adding to all their other issues/ woes and irritations.
PSD social democrats are understood to be ‘keen to put up a candidate of their own’, albeit pundits cannot see one that could ‘beat’ the popularity of Gouveia e Melo, while PS Socialists are in something of a bind: with the exception of António José Seguro, their list of possible candidates is looking tired (it is a line up of all-too familiar faces, none of them as ‘exceptional’ as the admiral, and certainly none of them without a political angle with a lot of history).
As a military source has told Expresso, Gouveia e Melo’s image as a military figure “serves all Portuguese, all parties. I think he will take this spirit into his candidacy”, showing himself to be “someone with conditions to pacify the polarisation that characterises politics in Portugal these days”.
For now, only CHEGA has shown support for a future candidacy – and Gouveia e Melo has been hugely critical of what he calls “extremisms” in the past: not agreeing at all with CHEGA’s views on immigration/ political corruption/ climate change or (in)security. Indeed, Expresso believes the admiral will manage to ‘remove himself’ from CHEGA’s support, without rejecting the party’s voters.
But all that is in the future: for the time being, Gouveia e Melo will work out the statutory 120-day period of notice within the Navy, continuing with “specific dossiers” – and keeping his counsel.
