“On this day, I made a point of visiting different territories of our country. Mourísia, a small village in the municipality of Arganil, in our interior, Guimarães, European Green Capital 2026, and now, the beautiful and ever-eternal city of Porto. This is not a coincidence, nor a merely symbolic gesture; it is the expression of a clear political conviction,” said António José Seguro in his speech in the Noble Hall of the Porto City Hall.

Territorial cohesion

On the second day of the inauguration program, the Head of State said that he wanted to show that Portugal is a whole, a country where everyone counts and where no territory can be dispensed with.

“Territorial cohesion is not a mere circumstance for the President of the Republic,” he stressed.

In a summary of the day, which ends with a concert by the Portuguese artist Pedro Abrunhosa at Casa da Música, Seguro said that in Mourísia he found the "living expression" of a resilient Portugal that needs attention, respect, and answers.

And he decided to go there because the interior will always be present in the exercise of his duties, he explained.

Guimarães, the European Green Capital, demonstrates how "memory and the construction of the future can go hand in hand," he added.

Historic cities

Regarding Porto, where he received a plate bearing the city's coat of arms from the mayor, Pedro Duarte, António José Seguro pointed out that there are cities that mark a country's history and that Porto helped to write it.

"Porto is not just a place in Portuguese territory; Porto is an affirmation of character and a way of being in history and in the world," he pointed out.

According to the President of the Republic, in this city, the responsibilities of power and the strength of institutions have always been understood.

"Porto has never been just a point on the map; Porto is a meeting place, a crossroads, and a horizon," he emphasised.

In a speech lasting just over 13 minutes, Seguro stressed that Porto continues to prove that its true identity lies in its permanent capacity to reinvent itself.

At the end, Antonio José Seguro signed the Book of Honor in the Dona Maria Room and then, together with his wife, met for about 30 minutes with Pedro Duarte. From there, they went to a private dinner at Casa do Roseiral.