Lisbon, Oct. 6, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese president has called for a new political culture of cross-party commitments spanning several parliamentary terms, emphasising the importance of political stability, and welcomed the convergence between the PSD/CDS-PP Government and the PS on the state budget negotiations.
At the ceremony marking the 116th anniversary of the establishment of the Portuguese Republic, held in Praça do Município, Lisbon, on Monday, António José Seguro emphasised the need for «lasting solutions» and urged political actors to abandon «a culture of entrenchment» and adopt «new ways of behaving».
«Portugal needs a new political culture, based on cross-party understanding and compromise, focused on the practical resolution of people's problems and on a strategic vision for the country. Acting in the short term whilst keeping an eye on Portugal's future requires public policies that span several parliamentary terms,» he stated.
In his first speech as Head of State on Republic Day, Seguro added: «We cannot keep going back to square one simply because a parliamentary term has ended. Political parties, social partners and other stakeholders in society must agree on the fundamental paths for our development. There is no time to lose.» «In this regard, I commend the Government and the PS for the path of rapprochement they have been pursuing with a view to the approval of next year's state budget. I hope other parties can join this path of compromise and convergence in this and other legislative processes. As I have always said, one serves Portugal just as well in government as in opposition,» he declared later on.
The president argued that «without political stability, no results are possible» and, referring to those who «perhaps act solely on the basis of electoral incentives», expressed his conviction that «the Portuguese people appreciate and reward those parties and political figures who agree on solutions to improve people's everyday lives».
Furthermore, he argued that «solving people's problems is also the best remedy for the threats posed by extremism and for the ills afflicting democratic regimes», adding: «Naturally, this must be accompanied by ethical behaviour on the part of those in charge and a willingness to listen to the people, particularly the most vulnerable, whose voices do not carry as much weight on the national stage».
In this speech, lasting around 15 minutes, Seguro highlighted «the suffering» endured by many people in Portugal, caused by the rising cost of living, which «is rising at a rate that wages and pensions are failing to keep up with», and reiterated his view that action must be taken at European level.
«The energy crisis, the root cause of many of these problems, cannot be tackled solely through national responses; it cannot be resolved on a country-by-country basis. It requires a coordinated European response that protects people and the economy and structurally reduces external energy dependence. Not to mention, of course, the need for the Strait of Hormuz to be kept open to ensure the safe passage of ships,» he stated.
According to him, «in a world undergoing profound and rapid change», «traditional solutions» are no longer adequate; it is necessary to «get to the root» of the problems and seek «new solutions» that are «grounded in a global vision, rather than a mere sum of sectoral policies» and that «withstand electoral cycles».
«Public policies assessed by their results and not by the political colour of the government that created them. We must abandon the endless blame game and replace it with responsible attitudes in the face of the difficulties we face. We must make decisions based on studies and scientific evidence, rather than on improvisation or the whims of the moment,» he continued.
Seguro spoke specifically of «greater understanding between political and social forces» to ensure «timely access to healthcare, better education and training, access to decent housing, and increased productivity», alongside «better wages and better pensions».
He alluded to the current Government's lack of majority support and stated that «democracies must learn to build stability in times of fragmentation», through «dialogue, compromise and courage», and that «this is a time for politics, not a time for technocracy».
«It is this appeal that I leave with you on this 5 October: that we look to Portugal's future with ambition, put an end to fruitless conflicts and find solutions to resolve the problems facing the people and the country, with our eyes fixed on the horizon,» he emphasised.
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