Marcelo argues that “employed abroad” will not be able to “replace the bare necessities” of the Armed Forces

The President of the Republic said on Tuesday that they will not be recruited from abroad to replace the main elements of the Portuguese armed forces, in a speech in which he again called for them to be reinforced with more troops.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke at the military ceremony marking the 49th anniversary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces next to the statue of D. Nuno Alvares Pereira in Jardim Dukla Soares in Lisbon.

“We do not believe that others hired abroad will be able to replace a significant part of our military corps. Even in social areas, they are emergency solutions, temporary and very limited in quantitative terms,” said the head of state and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

In his speech, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stated that in the current situation it is “even more important” that the Portuguese armed forces “be strong so that Portugal is strong” and that they must always have “personnel and capabilities adapted to their tasks”. .

“If not now, in times of war, in times of greater relevance to the role of our Armed Forces in the world, if not now, then when we will update the capabilities – some of them are timeless – and, moreover, in addition, are there men and women in large numbers and trained to give them suitable jobs?” he asked.

“Without the military, we can dream of ships, armored vehicles, aircraft, but we will not have anyone who can make them useful,” he added.

It was in this context that the President of the Republic then turned to the question of the recruitment of foreigners into the Armed Forces – a possibility for which he had already expressed his support – arguing that they could not replace an essential part of the Portuguese military.

On this occasion, on June 28 last year, at a conscription forum at the Thalia Theater in Lisbon, the head of state said: “We must get used to the idea of ​​including immigrants as a source of recruitment for the army.” Armed forces”.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa insisted on the need to increase investment in military assets and career development.

Today, he renewed that call, referring to the war in Ukraine and his recent visit to Kiev in August: “It’s time to remember what really matters, and it matters more than ever, when we see the courage of the Ukrainian people, as I VI, fighting for what is his, for the sovereignty he has been denied, for the territory that has been held from him, for the causes that are ours, belong to the European Union, belong to NATO, belong to the United Nations.”

“For us, in accordance with our membership in the United Nations, NATO and the European Union, their borders are our borders. A world with principles to be built is our world,” he said.

In this context, according to the head of state, “what is really important” is that the Portuguese armed forces “always have personnel and capabilities adapted to their tasks”, which “always attract more and more personnel and that they do not leave the pace they went.”

“It is important that the military regulations correspond to the legitimate aspirations of the candidates and the military. It is important that the new laws on military programming and military infrastructure, which provide undeniable positive steps, be effectively implemented – and, if possible, not abandon what is more relevant in the next eight to twelve years,” he said.

For Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, it is also important “that the signals given when creating ranks in the army or air force or when standardizing the timing of promotions – commendably – indicate a general atmosphere of increased motivation”, and it is necessary to “adapt and deepen support measures using the status of a former combatant.”

In the presence of the Minister of National Defense, Helena Carreiras, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Nunes da Fonseca, the President of the Republic opined that there was a “visible joint commitment” between the minister and the military leaders, but I needed it to “move forward and accelerate”, with “great political understanding” and “community support”.

“If we want a strong Portugal, we will have to constantly guarantee a strong military, because they have long been known and admired throughout the world,” he stressed.

“This is the obligation of the Minister of National Defence, and with it the Prime Minister and the entire government. This is the obligation of the Assembly of the Republic and, within it, the Parliamentary Defense Commission. This is the obligation of the President of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. This is the obligation of the Portuguese. Now only the most necessary remains: always, day by day, turn this obligation into a growing reality,” the head of state concluded.