The president of the republic this Saturday praised Mota Amaral, who turned 80, as a “very loyal friend” and “one of the fathers of the fatherland”, thanking him for what he did for Portugal and for the autonomy of the Azores.
“He was an exceptional President of the Assembly of the Republic. With an open mind, broad horizons, above secondary quarrels. He became one of the fathers of the country,” Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa noted in the video message recorded to will be screened at the birthday lunch of João Bosco Mota Amaral’s 80th birthday, which took place this Saturday in Ponta Delgada, in the island of São Miguel, Azores.
On the other hand, he noted, “the political and civic maturation of the Azores’ autonomy would not have been what it was without Mota Amaral”.
“With these two historic roles, he has the ability to stay young. I want to thank him for what he did for the Azores and what he did for Portugal, and he is doing this for the Azores as well,” he said.
Speaking more on a personal note, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his recognition for the “unlimited intellectual and human curiosity” of Mota Amaral, “a very loyal friend, even in politics, where he always remained faithful to friendships”.
“He is superior in intelligence. Of a very fine intelligence, but also with a practical sense. He has something of a Florentine prince, but also of someone who is very down to earth,” the president said in reference to Mota Amaral’s 80th birthday and noted that “appear a lot less”.
Written messages also arrived during the birthday lunch, such as that of former BE deputy Francisco Louçã, who recalled Mota Amaral’s passage as President of the Assembly of the Republic in the “huge years of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq”.
Social Democrat Marques Mendes paid tribute to Mota Amaral as founder of the PSD and “great leader of regional autonomy”, “a friend at all hours, committed, loyal and supportive”, noting that, as President of the Assembly of the Republic, he “worthy the position as few”.
Luís Montenegro, President of the PSD, thanked Mota Amaral for the “assistance rendered with courage and critical sense”, expressed “enormous gratitude for the work done in the party” and praised the “humanism, democratic tolerance and sense of state”, along with of “civic and intellectual liveliness”.
Pinto Balsemão, PSD number 1 militant, also took part in the festivities and welcomed Mota Amaral to the “group of 80”.
Mota Amaral was a member of the Constituent Assembly, President of the Regional Government of the Azores and President of the Assembly of the Republic.
Source: DN
