Pedro Nuno Santos promises to defend “Soares’ achievements”, Alegre is concerned about the far right

PS Secretary General Pedro Nuno Santos vowed this Thursday to defend the political achievements of former President of the Republic Mário Soares, while State Councilor Manuel Alegre expressed concern about signs of the rise of the far right in Portugal.

These positions were expressed at the entrance to the premiere of the film “Soares é Coole” at the Cultural Center of Belém (CCB), which was also attended by Prime Minister António Costa, as well as several members of his government. and the sons of the former head of state, Joao and Isabel Soares.

“Mario Soares is the number one socialist, he is our greatest, he is my political reference and one of the greatest in the history of our country and in the legacy of the party that I lead. We deeply admire and respect him,” said Pedro Nuno Santos upon his arrival at the CCB, accompanied by his party’s honorary president, Manuel Alegre.

The PS general secretary later stated that Mário Soares “was the central figure of this democratic Portugal.”

“We must move forward, but we also must protect the achievements of the last 50 years. Mario Soares was one of those responsible for building the country over the last 50 years, which we all count on,” said the current Secretary General of the PS.

Pedro Nuno Santos then focused on the “constructs” of Portuguese democracy, such as the National Health Service and public schools.

“Mario Soares played a very important role in building our democracy and Portugal’s entry into the European Economic Community,” he added.

Manuel Alegre, despite being asked how he survived the second round of the 1986 presidential election in which Mário Soares defeated Freitas do Amaral, preferred to talk about the current political reality.

“I’m sad that 50 years later [do 25 de Abril], we are seeing the rise of the far right, with high poll numbers and many young people voting for the right. We must admit that something failed in the democratic pedagogy of all of us who celebrated April 25,” he said.

António Costa welcomed Pedro Nuno Santos to reporters and then was brief in his statements, referring only to the fight between Mário Soares and Freitas do Amaral in the 1986 presidential elections.

“The 1986 presidential campaign was the most decisive. It was the closest election campaign. Fortunately, it ended quite well,” he said.

In the year of the centenary of the birth of the founder and first leader of the PS, former Prime Minister (1976/1978) and President of the Republic from 1986 to 1996, “Soares é Coole” was the first feature film about the “Former Head of State”, directed by Sergio Graciano, will be released in theaters on the 22nd.

The film is written by Joao Lacerda Matos and stars Tonan Quinto as Mario Soares, Maria Cardil (Maria Barroso), Thiago Fernandez (Freitas do Amaral), Miguel Mateus (Joao Soares) and Thiago Correia (Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa). .

The premiere was attended by the Ministers of the President Mariana Vieira da Silva, Justice, Catarina Sarmento and Castro, Defense, Helena Carreiras, Science and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, President of the April 25 Association Vasco Lourenço, PSD leader Margarida Balceiro Lopez and singer Tony Carreira.