Outside the Palace of Belém in Lisbon, André Ventura told reporters that “there will also be news about the presidential elections, but it will be the President himself who will make that announcement.”

Asked if he left this meeting with a date, the president of Chega replied: “Yes, with the probable date of the 24 January, although it is an announcement that will be made by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and not by me, it is not up to me to do so”.

“It is known that I am a presidential candidate, it is also known that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is not yet. I jokingly asked him if he had anything to say to me, but he also honestly didn’t answer me,” the president of Chega added.

The Electoral Law of the President of the Republic states that the Head of State “will mark the date of the first vote for the election to the Presidency of the Republic at least 60 days in advance”.

If none of the candidates obtain more than half of the cast votes, excluding blank votes, “the second vote will take place on the twenty-first day after the first”, between the two most voted. The law states that “both the first and eventual second vote shall take place within 60 days prior to the end of the term of office of the President of the outgoing Republic”, which is on 9 March 2021.