Today (Thursday) president Marcelo has said he will no longer be commenting on national or international affairs. “It’s the time to be silent and leave (that) to who is taking on the decisive role”: the president-elect of Portugal, António José Seguro.
Marcelo made his announcement today at BTL (the Better Tourism Lisbon Travel Market) when he was quizzed by journalists on his thoughts of the appointment of former PJ national director Luís Neves to Minister of Internal Affairs.
“I am not going to comment. I am a week away from leaving office and so it is the moment in which I am exiting the stage, and President Seguro is entering…” he said.
According to reports, journalists ‘insisted’ – to which Marcelo responded: “This is the time to be silent”.
Marcelo has been readily talking to the press for 10 years as President of the Portuguese Republic, and for years before that as a political commentator. He has said in the recent past that once his mandate is over, he will cease discussing politics publicly altogether.
The president (until March 9) was also asked about the recent ‘pronouncements’ by former PSD leader Pedro Passos Coelho – widely seen as a form of ‘opening dissent within the PSD party’ (the party essentially running the government), but, again, he refused to be drawn. The same went for questions on the fact that the current prime minister has all but admitted accepting budgetary deficit in order to pay for Portugal’s many ‘post-storm’ requirements
“It would be discourteous to my successor (to comment),” Marcelo stressed .
Marcelo arrived at BTL today in the company of José Manuel Bolieiro, the president of the regional government of the Azores “and remained so for most of the visit, particularly at the autonomous region’s stand at the fair”, writes Lusa.
Source material: LUSA
