Insurance: "Let's focus on people's problems"

Presidential candidate António José Seguro said this Monday that the discussion about a possible rejection of the 2026 State Budget by the Socialist Party is yet another example of the type of issues that “keep people away from politics”.

" People are suffering because they don't have a home, because emergency rooms are closed, because they don't have access to timely healthcare . And they're debating a vote on a proposal that hasn't even been presented yet, that no one knows about," he said.

António José Seguro was speaking to journalists in Setúbal after being asked about the possibility of the PS voting against the budget proposal for 2026, an idea that, according to the newspaper Público , is gaining strength among those closest to the PS secretary-general.

"Let's focus on people's problems. People are truly suffering. Every time I visit the country and speak to people, they are desperate in many situations. Our role is to affirm hope, not a hope without substance, but a hope with responsibility . That's my role, and that's why I've returned to the public sphere, and my duty in this campaign is a civic duty," he added.

Presidential candidate António José Seguro, speaking to journalists during a meeting with Cardinal and Bishop of Setúbal, Américo Aguiar, also stated that the lack of responses from democratic institutions to the problems of housing, health and poverty constitutes "fodder for extremism."

"Every time democracy, the institutions of democracy, fail to resolve these problems, it becomes a breeding ground for extremism. And extremism feeds on unresolved problems ," said António José Seguro during a meeting held at the Episcopal House of Setúbal.

"The role of democracy, political parties, and governments is to reduce the scale of these problems and, first and foremost, to lift more people out of the poverty we have in Portugal," Seguro added, when faced with the possibility that, if elected, he would have to deal with Chega.

Regarding a possible closeness between the current government and Chega, on issues where the two parties have similar ideas for solving some problems, António José Seguro argued that " the main concern is that there are lasting and solid solutions, not aspirins, to solve the problems that , at this moment, afflict millions of Portuguese people."

For António José Seguro, Portugal has a "phenomenon of extensive poverty," in which "most of the poor are children of poor parents and grandchildren of poor grandparents, which means that the social elevators are not working ."

"And for those who advocate a welfare state, it's essential that there are functioning social elevators and a social safety net. Now, the social safety net is also opening up holes here and there," emphasized the former socialist leader and now presidential candidate.