This has already drawn some approval from domestic political circles with Block of the Left member of parliament José Manuel Pureza declaring Guterres to be an international personality “who has stood out in recent years for his commitment to one of the largest causes in the world (…) the protection of refugees.”


“António Guterres stood out within this framework as somebody with courage, lucidity, demanding of states and, should António Guterres come to be elected Secretary General of the United Nations, then naturally that experience as high commissioner for refugees will be extraordinarily important for the way he sets about implementing his mandate,” said Pureza.


The Block MP said that his party’s support for Guterres was not about backing “a Portuguese candidate for being Portuguese” before pointing to the counterproductive performance of Durão Barroso as President of the European Commission as to why that did not make any sense.


According to Friday’s edition of Público, the official presentation of the former Socialist Prime Minister, who completed his second mandate and thus ten years as head of the UN High Commission for Refugees at the end of last year, will be made in February.


The newspaper reported that Prime Minister Costa had already informed President Cavaco Silva with efforts now advancing to ascertain whether or not the Guterres bid might get shot down by any of the five Security Council veto-holders.