Marques Mendes wants to be a mediator instead of moderator

In an article written exclusively for this edition of Nascer do Sol, Luís Marques Mendes exposes the reasons for the candidacy he launched four months ago, now that three other candidacies are already officially presented: Gouveia and Melo and António José Seguro.

At the beginning of a new legislature that completely altered the configuration and balance of forces of Parliament, the candidate reads the results and does not hesitate to say that it is necessary to combat the causes that feed the growth of arrival, now the opposition leader.

«More than fighting it, you need to combat the causes that feed it. It may be more difficult and less sexy, but it is more effective and politically more profitable. With this phrase Marques Mendes departs from his candidacy an important electorate (arrival had almost one and a half million votes in the last elections). The candidate who this week has seen the support of social democrats officially know that it is not easy to fish in the election of André Ventura’s party who has said that Marques Mendes « represents the worst of the political system. »

In the article, the former PSD leader and political commentator, reinforces the cause of ethics, as one of his main battles if he is elected, proposing to such changes in the political system. «It is urgent to raise the quality of political decision makers. And for this, it is necessary condition to make changes in the electoral system. Reinforcing political personalization and accountability ». In a proposal that seems to go to the sense that the system is moving towards the creation of uninominal circles (circles in which there is a greater connection between the elected deputies and the region for which they apply), Mendes does not fail to drive criticism to what he calls « false deputies ». In a criticism directed to Fernando Araújo, the former executive director of the NHS who in these elections was the head of the PS in the circle of Porto the presidential candidate says, « those who apply and resign right after the election … It is one of the things that most discredit politics and politicians. We have to be more careful and demanding.

Mediator between government and parties
One of the main objectives that Marques Mendes proposes if he arrives at the Belém Palace is to ensure conditions of political stability in an increasingly fragmented parliamentary reality and in which it is increasingly difficult to achieve absolute majorities.

In order to achieve this goal, the candidate supported by the Government Party, he considers that the next president of the Republic must be more proactive, “it is necessary to avoid motions of censorship and motions of trust. It is necessary to negotiate state budgets. And it is indispensable that the PR leads the main parties to be co-responsible in this direction.

Pointing his finger to the responsibility of politicians in a country that he considers stagnant in which « there is fear of making decisions », Marques Mendes writes that it is up to the president to inspire the country and governance, not just for the power of the word.

The head of state, says Marques Mendes, “must play a more proactive role. Assuming the role of mediator between government and opposition parties to overcome the great blockages that have been growing in our economy for years.

In another passage, the presidential candidate underlines the role he considers to be reserved for the head of state: “decline the concept of mediation and underline the importance of the mediating power of PR. It’s more, much more than moderator power. The mediator power is proactive: to mediate is to act. It is having initiative. It is making bridges to resolve blockages and impasses ».

In the lines he writes on pages 24 and 25 of this edition, Marques Mendes goes further in defining the objectives of his candidacy and how, if elected, he intends to perform duties. As a result in the article, the candidate finds space in the constitutional powers reserved for the President of the Republic, to play an active role in political chess. It will surely be one of the campaign themes in the coming months: how can PR contribute to stability?