Presidential: Marcelo very angry with health authorities – Portugal

The President of the Republic and re-candidate for office, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was today “very angry” with the health authorities because he did not receive, “in writing, a position” on whether or not he could go to the debate that is taking place tonight on RTP.

“I feel very angry because they do not give me, in writing, a position on whether I could go to the debate or not. And therefore, not having a position, I waited, I waited, the first position was that I could go, the second was that, verbally, I am waiting for a meeting, and, when in doubt, I came home to do [o debate] from home, I was not going to do Belém. The debate is not with the President of the Republic, it is with the candidate. The minimum is to have a written response “from the health authorities, defended the head of state in declarations to RTP on arrival at his residence in Cascais, Lisbon district.

The re-candidate added that when that answer arrives, “as is natural”, he no longer has time to go to Pátio da Galé, in Lisbon, to debate in person with the remaining six candidates.

Therefore, it will “ask RTP to videoconference” from your home.

“I’m not sure how, I have to improvise, and then I have to stay here, I’m not going to Belém again, I have to stay here for the next few days, as long as they understand that I should be in isolation”, continued the head of state.

Marcelo considered the decision to remain at home “legitimate”, since the “President has to be treated like any ordinary citizen”, however, “deserves an answer that says whether he can go or not” to the debate.