Carlos César is once again a candidate for PS president but anticipates “greater public modesty”

Carlos César is once again a candidate for president of the PS at the 25th congress, he confirmed to Lusa, after accepting the “insistent request” of the party leader and other socialists of different sensibilities, but anticipates “greater public modesty”.

“I had confided to some comrades that I did not intend to continue in the position, but I decided to accept once again being a candidate for the party presidency, responding to the insistent request in this sense from the now re-elected general secretary. [José Luís Carneiro]and other comrades, with the most diverse sensibilities, who also made this appeal to me”, replied Carlos César to Lusa when asked if he would be a candidate for the position again.

Among the names of the supporters of his candidacy – whose election takes place at a congress and on the proposal of a minimum of 5% of elected delegates – are the former leader of the PS Pedro Nuno Santos, the honorary president of the PS Manuel Alegre, the former president of parliament Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues and the former ministers Duarte Cordeiro, Mariana Vieira da Silva, Fernando Medina, Alexandra Leitão or João Soares, in addition to the former deputies Sérgio Sousa Pinto and Ascenso Simões.

“In previous circumstances, I held the position with greater visibility and public intervention, at one stage, because the party’s general secretary held government functions and I myself was parliamentary leader, and, at a subsequent stage, due to the extraordinary circumstances caused by the vacancy in the party leadership”, he said.

With the PS removed from the Government and internal life proceeding normally, Carlos César considered that “the president has, or should have, a position of greater public modesty, without prejudice to his magistracy of influence, tending to be developed with discretion, in defense of better discernment and unity and cohesion in the party”.

“That’s what’s happening now”, he anticipated.

The 25th PS National Congress takes place on the 27th, 28th and 29th of March, in Viseuafter José Luís Carneiro was re-elected general secretary of the PS, again without opposition, in last weekend’s direct elections.