The President of the Republic today refused to comment on the idea defended by Durão Barroso that there is a need for a “right lung” in Portugal, instead highlighting the government’s measures to deal with interest rates.

According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, this government action “gives – yes – a lung, even two lungs”, because of its economic but also political effects.

The head of state, who spoke to journalists in Toronto, during his official visit to Canada, did not want to make any comment on the launch of the book by former President of the Republic Cavaco Silva, “The First minister and the art of government”, presented Friday in Lisbon by former Prime Minister Durão Barroso – two former presidents of the PSD, like Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

“I haven’t read it and you know that, as a matter of principle, I don’t comment. I am not going to comment on former Presidents of the Republic and future Presidents of the Republic,” replied Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, estimating that his orientation in this matter “is very peaceful and very civilized”.

Asked specifically about the idea defended by Durão Barroso according to which “the country is too unbalanced on the left” and that there is a need for a “right-wing lung” in the public space in Portugal, the head of state said: “I won I’m not commenting. I will quickly tell you one thing: I followed with interest, and with positive interest, the measures under study to try to mitigate the consequences of rising interest rates.

“And I see with interest and as positive what is being thought of to find formulas so that, in the near future, this does not weigh on Portuguese families,” continued the President of the Republic, arguing that “this presents two advantages “, which can be compared to “two lungs”.

According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the first advantage is “to wait until the economic situation improves”, but the government’s action to mitigate the rise in interest rates presents another “additional political advantage”: “It decompresses the debate or part of the debate at the European Championships in 2024.

“One of the problems of a high-pressure European debate on the plight of those benefiting from high-interest mortgages was to encourage the growth of those protest groups who always take advantage of crisis situations the most more painful. In this sense, it can have two advantages,” he argued.

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