Admiral Gouveia e Melo retires from the Navy, paving his path to the Presidency
The Admiral was due to stay on as Chief of Staff of the Navy until March 2025, but he has now decided to retire at the end of 2024.
What?
On Tuesday, Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo, the Chief of the Portuguese Navy, announced that he will retire from military service after completing his term on December 27, 2024.
This is the clearest indication that the 45-year military veteran intends to run for the Presidency in 2026, given that his retirement from the army was widely seen as a pre-condition for a Presidential candidacy - more on this below.
Gouveia e Melo explained his decision, stating that remaining in active service would limit his civic rights: “It is time to close one chapter and open another. I have been a soldier for 45 years, and now it is time to hand over the Navy to younger, more capable hands that will continue the future we all desire.”
He also said that after transitioning into a “new phase” of his life, he will “never speak of the Navy again.”
Presidential bid
Speculation about Gouveia e Melo’s future remains intense, after he emerged in opinion polls as the frontrunner candidate for the 2026 presidential elections.
When asked by reporters if he was planning a presidential bid, the Admiral responded with irony: “You see something extraordinary in everything I do. I don’t know if I can wink, because even that could have a meaning.”
Nevertheless, he remained tight-lipped about his next steps, reflecting on the emotional weight of his retirement: “The first feeling is loss, the loss of a life. The second feeling, time will tell.”
In November, Gouveia e Melo informed the Navy’s Admiralty Council that he would not seek an additional two-year term, effectively concluding his mandate in December. His early retirement had already raised questions, as he was expected to serve until March 2024.
Gouveia e Melo also indicated that he will step back from public life until February, when he is expected to begin preparing for the 2026 presidential race.
Can a army man run for President?
There has been intense debate in Portuguese society over whether an army officer could, or should, run for the presidency.
Since the election of General Ramalho Eanes in 1976—the first presidential election after the April 25 Revolution—and up until 1980, Portugal has not had a military figure in a sovereign body.
At the European level, this is not an uncommon occurrence. However, only one country—Czech Republic—currently has a military officer as president: Petr Pavel, a 61-year-old general (in reserves).
Last Friday, the TV show Expresso da Meia Noite (Midnight Express) on SIC Notícias was entirely dedicated to the topic: “Could a military man return to Belém?” (Belém is the official residence of the Portuguese President).
During the show, Constitutional Law Professor Teresa Violante explained that, from a legal standpoint, it’s crucial to distinguish between active duty and retired military officers.
Professor Violante argued that the Portuguese Constitution is very clear about the role of the armed forces, requiring their non-partisanship and neutrality. This imposes a duty of impartiality on them. Based on this, some legal experts contend that the 1976 Constitution indeed prevents active duty military officers from running for political office.
Interestingly, Admiral Gouveia e Melo announced his retirement just three days after the TV program aired.
However, Professor Violante clarified that this does not mean military personnel are excluded from fundamental rights under the Constitution. In fact, nothing seems to prevent a retired officer from standing in elections.
Gouveia e Melo himself made this clear in his announcement: “Remaining in active duty would restrict my civil rights.”
She also noted that the current National Defense Law, amended in 2021, explicitly states that “in peacetime, military personnel in active service may stand as candidates for sovereign bodies, self-government bodies of the autonomous regions, local authorities, or the European Parliament, subject to a special permit granted by the Chief of Staff of their branch.”
Thus, even if Admiral Gouveia e Melo had remained in active duty, he could have argued that he had a legal right to run for office.
Should a army man run for President?
Another question is whether a military officer should run for the Presidency of the Republic.
In relation to this question, it is important to highlight the unique role of the military in Portugal’s recent history: military coups led to both the beginning (1926) and the end (1974) of the dictatorship in Portugal.
For this reason, the question of whether a military officer should hold the highest office in the state takes on particular political sensitivity in contemporary Portugal.
One person who has already expressed his opinion on this matter is the current President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. In his speech at the solemn session of November 25, which PORTUGAL DECODED translated in full, he emphasized that full electoral democracy was only consolidated in 1982, with the first constitutional revision ending military oversight of the regime.
From the Government’s side, the Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida, stated that “it would be strange, in 21st century Europe, to have a military officer as President of the Republic.”
From the Socialist Party, the former Minister and possible Presidential candidate, Augusto Santos Silva, wrote a long essay in this week’s Expresso, in which he argues that the country does not need “caudillos,” “any providential personality” who inspires a “firm hand,” or “an omnipresent commentator on the actions of others.”
A sailor would be better that either a politician or lawyer as President, Tim