Defending National Identity, Shared History, Family, and Traditions
In the second round of presidential elections, voting can no longer be understood as a mere expression of personal preference or circumstantial inclination. It instead assumes the nature of a conscious act of civic responsibility, through which the political, institutional, and moral direction of the Nation is decided. This is no longer about choosing styles, temperaments, or biographies. It is about choosing between two distinct models for organizing collective life. The very reason for the existence of a second round lies in this demand for clarification.
Portugal reaches this moment after many years marked by insufficient economic growth, a progressively increasing tax burden, public services incapable of responding effectively to the real needs of citizens, and a widespread sense of injustice felt by those who work, produce, and fulfill their obligations. This situation is not the result of chance or external fatality. It stems from the persistence of policies inspired by a socialist conception of the State, which promised protection and equality but led instead to stagnation, dependency, and the gradual erosion of individual initiative.
Voting for the right in this second round means rejecting the continuation of that exhausted model. It means affirming that the State cannot live indefinitely beyond its means, nor permanently transfer the cost of its structural inefficiency onto citizens. It means defending the principle that political power must serve society, rather than positioning itself as its permanent guardian, omnipresent regulator, and discretionary distributor of favors.
The vision of the right rests on a fundamental principle, confirmed by historical experience. There is no collective prosperity without individual effort. There is no lasting social justice without the effective creation of wealth. There is no real freedom when citizens continuously depend on the State to secure their subsistence.
Work, merit, and initiative constitute the essential foundations of any balanced, responsible, and truly supportive society.
Respect for the rule of law is inseparable from this choice. The law must be clear, stable, and applied equally to all, without privileges or convenient exceptions. The authority of the State, exercised legitimately, and the role of security forces do not constitute obstacles to freedom. On the contrary, they are its necessary condition. Where order is relativized, freedom ceases to be a common good and inevitably becomes a privilege reserved for a few.
At the level of national sovereignty, the distinction is equally clear. Portugal should cooperate with other nations, but without relinquishing its capacity for decision-making or subordinating its interests to directives that do not correspond to the will of the Portuguese people. A country that renounces its political autonomy ultimately loses the trust of its citizens and respect on the international stage.
César DoPaço's opinion on the second round of the presidential elections in Portugal
In the field of immigration, the same clarity of principles is required. A political community can only remain cohesive when firm rules, effective control, and demanding integration exist. Respect for human dignity does not conflict with respect for the law. The absence of rules inevitably leads to disorder, inequality before the law, and social fragmentation, penalizing above all those who comply.
On the cultural and moral level, defending national identity, shared history, family, and traditions does not represent a retreat from progress. Rather, it represents the affirmation of continuity, stability, and a sense of belonging.
Societies that deliberately reject their fundamental references become fragile and vulnerable to every kind of ideological experimentation and social engineering.
In the second round, the choice ceases to be abstract and takes on a concrete character. Either one accepts the continuity of a model that has clearly revealed its limits and failures, or one opts for a clear break with socialism and with the politics of permanent hesitation. Voting for the right is choosing order, responsibility, and the political courage indispensable to govern without fear or ambiguity.
In the second round, not deciding is equivalent to giving up. Voting for the right is to assume a conscious commitment to a freer, safer, and more responsible Portugal, accountable to its own destiny.
César DePaço
Entrepreneur and philanthropist
Honorary Consul of Portugal (2014–2020)
Founder and CEO of Summit Nutritionals International Inc.
Founder and Chairman of the Board of the DePaço Foundation
Unwavering defender of law enforcement and conservative principles