Portugal’s head of state, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, this Tuesday before Senegal’s president, Macky Sall, pointed out the difficulties and challenges of democracy, pointing out that respect for human rights and pluralism means dialogue and tolerance.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke at the Belém Palace in Lisbon, where he received Macky Sall, who began a state visit to Portugal on Tuesday.
“It is very important to have democracy here in Portugal and democracy among you in Senegal. It is difficult, certainly. Democracy is more difficult than dictatorship, because it respects human rights, it respects pluralism, because it lives on dialogue and tolerance.” said the Portuguese president.
Speaking in French with the President of Senegal at his side, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa continued: “Because it is made not only of political or personal democracy, but at the same time of economic and social democracy, of social justice, of the fight against everything that is asymmetrical and unequal in people’s lives”.
“And nowadays with what we sometimes call populism, what we sometimes call inorganic movements, new realities beyond the classical realities, there are challenges that are new to democracies, especially when we talk about media democracy, with the old media and new media.” he pointed it out.
“So this brings us closer together, this vision,” he added.
Senegalese president invites Portuguese companies and promises to stop destabilization
Senegal’s president, Macky Sall, took advantage of his visit to the country to invite Portuguese companies to cooperate more with Senegal, which he assured will not be destabilized by threats to democracy and democratic institutions.
Senegal’s path since independence has been one of “democracy consolidation”, which “regardless of the source of these potential threats” to democracy and democratic institutions will not be destabilized, Macky Sall said in a statement , without the right to ask questions, after an audience at the Belém Palace with his Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The Senegalese head of state, who began a two-day visit to Portugal on Tuesday, more than once expressed his “commitment to world peace, human rights and democracy”, a theme that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also focused on in his statement.
As for bilateral cooperation, it has been “dynamic” and the two countries are linked by history, but also “by the defense of values”, said the Senegalese president.
Macky added that Senegal will start investing in gas and oil exploration from this year, and praised the country’s economic performance, having guaranteed in this context that “Portuguese companies are very welcome in Senegal”.
This topic will be discussed in more detail at the meeting with Prime Minister António Costa, said the Senegalese leader, citing sectors such as infrastructure, health, real estate, energy and education as opportunities.
Senegal’s role as an observer of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) was emphasized by the two heads of state in their statements, with Sall stressing the importance of relations with neighboring countries Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde.
The Senegalese head of state, who is making the state visit at the invitation of the Portuguese president, was received by António Costa at the São Bento Palace, the Prime Minister’s official residence, including the signing of legal instruments prior to a lunch hosted by the head of the executive power.
In the evening, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offers an official dinner to Macky Sall at Palácio Nacional da Ajuda.
On Wednesday the 21st, the Senegalese head of state’s agenda includes a visit to the town hall, where he will receive the keys to the city from the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas.
Macky Sall will then head to the Assembly of the Republic, where he will meet with the President of the Parliament, Augusto Santos Silva, before a formal session is held in his honor.
Senegal has faced strong social unrest, with demonstrations following the two-year jail sentence of Ousmane Sonko, named next year’s presidential candidate, suppressed by police. According to the authorities, 16 people were killed in the protests at the beginning of this month, but the organization Amnesty International speaks of 23 deaths.
President Sall, elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2019, is silent on his intentions regarding the presidential election scheduled for February 2024, for which some 20 candidates have already registered.
Opponents argue that Sall is constitutionally barred from a third term in office.
Source: DN
