It has been “very gratifying” and “a source of pride” to perform the role of head of state – President of the Republic

These statements were made at a moment of review of his two years in office, completed today, during a conversation with journalists and civil society, with the purpose of addressing the crucial points of his performance.

In a brief review, José Maria Neves recalled that upon taking office he proposed to be a President centered on people, defending their fundamental freedoms and attentive to their demands and aspirations.

Therefore, he said that he has sought, “with serenity and a sense of responsibility”, to be this President, although it has not been easy, if one considers, as he justified, “the fragility of civil society, the high costs of participating in a political environment -excessively polarized party and the weakness of the press”.

Meanwhile, he revealed that it has been “very gratifying” and “a reason for pride” to perform the high functions of the Head of State, in the country's current state of economic, social and political development, highlighting that the President of the Republic has a fundamental role, namely in respect for democratic institutions, in the defense of fundamental rights, and in the protection of the rights of minorities.

“Through the pedagogy of speech I have striven to create good conditions for discussing ideas and proposals within a framework of freedom of expression, acceptance of difference, mutual trust between political actors and openness to mutual concessions”, he highlighted.

In this sense, the head of state highlighted “important gains” achieved during his two years in office, namely by exercising “positive” influence for the recomposition of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, and for the appointment of its president, the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice, of its president, guaranteeing its full functioning and the normalization of relations between the courts and other sovereign bodies.

During these two years, he was also pleased with the fact that he was able to return the Palácio do Povo to the Presidency and reopen it, as the official residence of the President of the Republic in the city of Mindelo, São Vicente, in accordance with the commitments made to the Cape Verdeans.

“In addition to the honorary presidency of the centenary of the city of São Filipe, within which I sponsored political, cultural and sporting activities, I made visits to several municipalities, dialoguing with local authorities, universities, unions, NGOs, churches and citizens in search for solutions to the demanding problems that affect us”, he highlighted.

In terms of international relations, he highlighted several visits made, his participation in summits of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), in European development days, as well as such as international conferences.

At the diaspora level, he recalled that he held the first Presidency in the Diaspora, in the United States of America, which he considered a “great success”.

Along these lines, he argued that Cape Verdeans must embrace the development process as a long road to freedom, committing to this mission, as President of the Republic, to take care of Cape Verde and lead it on this journey.