António José Seguro used an appearance at the Belém book fair on Friday to describe reading as an "antidote" for what he called a society many insist on unravelling, according to Expresso. He spoke alongside President Marcelo Rebelo de Alegre at the Lisbon event.
Expresso reports that Seguro's remarks centred on the value of books and culture in a fragmenting society. The Observador reported that Alegre, appearing with Seguro in Belém, argued culture is the best nourishment in times of crisis.
The Portuguese presidency's official programme listed the Friday, 18 September engagement, and the Correio da Manhã noted the Belém book fair as the setting. The Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa also said it took part in the Festa do Livro in Belém.
The event placed the two figures together at a literary gathering at a moment when Seguro is campaigning for the presidency. The framing both men used — reading and culture as a counterweight to social breakdown — was consistent across the outlets that covered the appearance.
Details of the exchange remain limited to the published accounts, which did not carry full transcripts of the remarks.
What to watch next: whether Seguro and Alegre repeat the culture-as-antidote message at further campaign stops before the presidential vote.