The announcement was made by the parliamentary leader, Inês Sousa Real, at a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Lisbon.
“PAN decided to support Ana Gomes’ candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic”, she announced, considering that the former MEP is a “strong and independent candidate”.
PAN is the second party to announce support for the former MEP, after Livre did so at the end of September.
Inês Sousa Real defended that in the presidential elections next year it is “necessary to ensure” the defeat of populism but also of “conservatism” that represents the growth of the central bloc.
“In the next elections, it is necessary to ensure not only the clear defeat of anti-democratic populism, racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic populism, but also to be able to defeat in the second round the conservatism of a presidential style that does not mark red lines in environmental protection, whose candidacy represents the growth of a central bloc project that is very harmful to democracy, ”he said, without naming names.
“Portugal needs a President of the Republic who also shows affection for the planet and who prioritizes what environmental challenges are”, he stressed.
In the party’s view, “the next presidential elections will also be a fight for democracy and for the defense of the Fundamental Law, the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic”, since “democratic institutions have been questioned and very little interest has been shown” , by PS and PSD, for example in the fight against corruption.
Inês Sousa Real also considered that the “closing of the democratic system” has led to the “growth of discontent” and a “breach of trust” on the part of the citizens, which allowed the “increase in populism and the dangerous hate speeches that put at risk the most basic pillars of the democratic rule of law ”.
Diplomat and former socialist MEP Ana Gomes confirmed in early September that she will be a candidate for President of the Republic.
Last week, the PAN spokesman, questioned about the matter, said that the party was “having this debate internally” and said that “very soon” it would take an official position on the presidential elections.
In the 2016 presidential elections, People-Animals-Nature declared support for the historian, writer and ex-journalist Manuela Gonzaga, who ended up giving up before the elections for failing to validate the 7,500 signatures necessary to make the candidacy official.
Six months from the end of the term of office of the current President of the Republic, there are already eight pre-candidates for the position of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
They are deputy André Ventura (Chega), lawyer and founder of the Liberal Initiative Tiago Mayan Gonçalves, the leader of the Democratic Republican Party (PDR), Bruno Fialho, the MEP and leader of BE Marisa Matias, the former member of the European Parliament and PS director Ana Gomes, Vitorino Silva (better known as Tino de Rans), former CDS activist Orlando Cruz and as of today João Ferreira, of the PCP.
Updated at 13:09
–
