Gouveia e Melo confirms Presidential run
The announcement was made four days before the snap legislative elections, which drew criticism from the main parties.
After months of speculation, frontrunner Henrique Gouveia e Melo has confirmed his candidacy for the Portuguese presidency.
In an exclusive interview with Rádio Renascença, the former Navy chief declared, “There is no doubt. I will indeed be a candidate.”
His formal announcement is scheduled for May 29, just days after the upcoming legislative elections.
Gouveia e Melo, who led Portugal’s widely praised COVID-19 vaccination campaign, explained that global instability, the war in Ukraine, tensions in Europe, and Donald Trump’s reelection in the United States all contributed to his decision to enter the presidential race.
He also cited “internal instability” and a pattern of short-lived governments as key factors.
“My decision is to move forward with the candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic,” Gouveia e Melo told Renascença.
“This will be formally announced on May 29.”
Despite previously vowing not to disrupt the legislative campaign, the Admiral admitted that the need to prepare invitations for the campaign launch left little room to maintain secrecy: “It would be, as they say (laughs), a very poorly kept secret.”
Gouveia e Melo emphasized that he brings a different approach from the current head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
“We are very different people. If the Portuguese believe I have the right qualities to be President, my approach will be very different,” he stated, while declining to critique Rebelo de Sousa directly.
He said his goal is to bring “strategic vision” and push for “structural reforms” long overdue in Portuguese society.
Ideologically, he positions himself between socialism and social democracy, supporting liberal democracy as the preferred system of governance.
Polls suggest Gouveia e Melo is currently the frontrunner for the January 2026 presidential election.
A recent CESOP survey indicated that nearly four in ten voters favor him as Marcelo’s successor.
Reactions
Political reactions to his announcement were swift and critical.
Former Socialist parliamentary speaker Augusto Santos Silva criticized Gouveia e Melo for what he saw as a misunderstanding of constitutional roles, accusing him of confusing legislative and presidential elections.
“I don’t understand how someone can say one thing one day and the opposite the next,” Santos Silva remarked.
Meanwhile, Communist Party leader Paulo Raimundo dismissed the announcement as a “non-news,” claiming the decision had been obvious for months.
“The real headline would have been ‘Gouveia e Melo is not running,’” he quipped.
In contrast, Rui Rocha, leader of the Liberal Initiative, accused Gouveia e Melo of seeking to draw attention away from the legislative vote.
“This is not a great start for someone aspiring to be President,” Rocha commented during a campaign visit to Pombal.
Regardless of criticism, Gouveia e Melo appears poised to be a central figure in the upcoming presidential contest.