With the Portuguese press focussed on presidential elections which only take place next January, two further political choices have ‘declared themselves’: Luís Marques Mendes, the long-preferred candidate to represent PSD social democrats, left his 12-year position as political commentator for SIC Notícias last night to concentrate on the presidential ‘race’; while Iniciativa Liberal is fielding Mariana Leitão. The reality, however, according to polls, is that voters are leaning more and more towards a non-political candidate (one that has not even ‘showed his hand’ yet: former Naval chief of staff Henrique Gouveia e Melo).
Two more presidential candidates ‘declare themselves’
Luís Marques Mendes is a State advisor, former leader of the PSD centre right party and highly respected political observer who has been finally taken on candidacy for the presidency of the Republic
