President Seguro Begins First 'Open Presidency' Tour — Hears Storm Victims' Pleas in Central Portugal

Portugal's President António José Seguro launched his first Presidência Aberta (Open Presidency) on Monday, beginning a five-day tour through the districts of Castelo Branco, Santarém, Coimbra, and Leiria — the regions hardest hit by the devastating winter storms that struck in January and February.

The trip, covering 18 municipalities, is Seguro's most significant public engagement since taking office and carries both symbolic and practical weight: the President wants to assess the pace of reconstruction, amplify the voices of affected communities, and push the government to accelerate delayed support payments.

Protests Greet the President in Pedrógão Pequeno

Before even reaching his first scheduled stop — a storm-damaged hotel in the municipality of Sertã — Seguro's motorcade was intercepted by around fifty residents of Pedrógão Pequeno demanding the reopening of a section of the Estrada Nacional 2 (N2), one of Portugal's most iconic roads. A banner held by protesters read: "Mr President, we need help. The N2 is our survival."

Seguro stepped out of his vehicle to speak directly with the group, promising to raise the issue with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. The N2 closure has severed a critical transport and commercial link for villages in the Sertã area, leaving businesses cut off from customers and residents reliant on long detours for basic services.

"The Country Cannot Have a Short Memory"

At the hotel visit in Sertã, Seguro spoke with the owner, João de Brito, about the recovery process. Brito told the President that he had funded initial repairs from his own reserves, as insurance claims were still being processed and no government aid had yet arrived. The exchange illustrated a common complaint across the region: bureaucratic delays are leaving storm victims to fend for themselves.

"A significant part of the problems persist, and the purpose of this visit is to accelerate support," Seguro told reporters. "The country cannot have a short memory for a tragedy this large."

The President added that while preparing the itinerary, he had been struck by how many communities were still dealing with unresolved damage two months after the storms.

Expert Meeting Announced

Seguro announced that he will convene a meeting with disaster-response experts next week to examine what "went wrong or less well" in the immediate aftermath of the storms. The goal, he said, is to ensure that the same failures are not repeated in future emergencies — a pointed remark that signals the presidency intends to play an active oversight role on civil protection.

Tourism Appeal for Affected Regions

Later in the day, during a visit to a campsite in Oleiros that reopened on 1 April after storm repairs, Seguro made an appeal to all Portuguese citizens to consider spending their holidays in the affected central regions. He described it as a "gesture of solidarity" that would help the local economy recover.

"I want this week to give a voice to those who lost theirs," Seguro said. "I listen first. I always speak afterwards."

What Is a Presidência Aberta?

The Presidência Aberta is a long-standing Portuguese presidential tradition in which the head of state leaves Lisbon for an extended multi-day visit to a specific region, meeting local officials, business leaders, and ordinary citizens. The format is designed to bring the presidency closer to communities that often feel distant from the capital's political class. Previous presidents have used the tool to spotlight issues ranging from rural depopulation to housing shortages. Seguro's choice to dedicate his first such tour to storm recovery signals that the slow pace of reconstruction will remain a top-level political issue.