Lisbon, July 14, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese president has argued that reducing seismic risk should be “regarded as a national priority and a commitment by the state, transcending political cycles”, with public policies that are “coordinated, sustained and assessable on the ground”.

This statement by António José Seguro appears in a press release published on Monday evening on the official website of the presidency office, which reports that the Head of State received “experts in civil engineering, geology and seismology” at the Belém Palace.

According to the statement, the meeting “examined the state of national preparedness in the face of seismic risk and the conditions for its reduction”.

“Portugal now possesses sufficient scientific knowledge, technical capacity and professional experience to significantly reduce the country’s seismic risk; it is therefore important to translate this knowledge into coordinated, sustained and assessable public policies on the ground”, it states.

“The reduction of seismic risk must be seen as a national priority and a commitment of the State, transcending political cycles”, the statement adds.

António José Seguro, who assumed the presidency on 9 March, has emphasised the need for better organisation and medium- to long-term planning, as opposed to a culture of improvisation in the face of disasters.

On 17 April, he convened the Council of State for the first time to discuss security and defence, and the meeting concluded that “it is important to strengthen national preparedness in the face of severe weather events, hybrid threats and emerging risks, as well as to ensure the effective protection of critical infrastructure and the smooth functioning of essential services”.

According to the statement issued at the time, “the need to continue promoting coordination between the various bodies with responsibilities in these areas was also highlighted, thereby strengthening the capacity for prevention, response and recovery in crisis situations”.

IEL/AYLS // AYLS

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