Durão Barroso, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, reiterated last weekend his position that he will not run for the 2026 presidential elections. He stressed that there is no possibility of changing his mind.
Durão Barroso, reflecting on his time as Chief Executive, recognizes his past mistakes and admits: “Even if I had the desire, I'm not sure I could get votes.
At the end of a summer university course organized by the Social Democratic Party (PSD), journalists asked Durão Barroso if he intended to announce his candidacy for President of the Republic. However, he refused to discuss the matter further, citing his previous statement, from February this year, in which he had already discarded the idea of running for Belém.
Barroso's position remained unchanged and he expressed that he did not want to address the issue repeatedly. The main opposition party in Portugal is the PSD. When asked if the term “never” held any true permanence in his personal circumstances, he confirmed by stating, “Yes, that is exactly what I expressed.”
During the month of February, journalists questioned the former prime minister on the subject of his receiving the honorary distinction at the Catholic University. It was stated that obtaining a certain position is extremely important for a person of Portuguese nationality.
The speaker thanked him for the consideration, but stated that he has no intention of carrying out the role. Furthermore, even if they were inclined to do so, they doubt they would receive enough votes to secure the position. Finally, the speaker declared that he does not participate in the competition.
Durão Barroso, the previous leader of the PSD, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 2002 to 2004, as governments in Portugal have four-year terms. Furthermore, he served as the 11th President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014.
