Call for steady leadership

Speaking on Thursday, 1 October 2026, at the Military Academy in Lisbon, Portuguese President António José Seguro addressed newly commissioned Army officers during their traditional sword delivery ceremony. In his role as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Seguro outlined the core attributes required of national and military figures facing complex public challenges. He emphasized that governance and command require the ability to resolve difficult problems, maintain internal calm during turbulent moments, and foster cohesion when political or social factors encourage division. Although press representatives attended the event at the academy, the president declined to give statements to reporters following the conclusion of the ceremony.

“The country needs leaders who know how to decide when there are no easy answers, who know how to remain serene when everyone else is restless, who know how to unite when circumstances tend to divide.”

The multidimensional battlefield

Turning directly to the graduating officers, Seguro explained that contemporary military service requires confronting operational realities that are completely different from those encountered by previous generations. He observed that armed conflicts no longer take place solely on physical ground or conventional front lines. Instead, modern military operations now encompass cyberspace, information networks, artificial intelligence, perception management, and high-speed decision cycles. The head of state characterized this evolution as a structural transformation in which the entire operational theater operates across multiple interconnected dimensions.

“Modern wars are no longer fought only on the ground. They are also fought through information, technology, cyberspace, artificial intelligence, perception manipulation, and decision speed. The battlefield has become multidimensional.”

Moral responsibility and technological limits

While acknowledging the increasing role of advanced computational tools on the modern battlefield, Seguro maintained that technological innovation cannot replace human character. He observed that automated systems and algorithms are capable of performing complex calculations, but final operational authority must remain with human commanders. According to the president, moral commitment and personal ethics represent the definitive factors that distinguish capable military leaders from administrative managers of war.

“No technology replaces character, no algorithm replaces courage, no system replaces the moral responsibility of a leader.”

Demands for moral and technical readiness

In the closing portion of his address, Seguro reflected on the broader international environment, pointing to widespread conflict, geopolitical unpredictability, and rapid technological transition. He issued an appeal to the new Portuguese officers to balance technical proficiency and intellectual preparation with rigorous ethical standards. The president affirmed that technological prowess is insufficient on its own, noting that Portugal depends on commanders whose moral strength guides their technical expertise when leading personnel through challenging circumstances.

“In a world marked by uncertainty, conflict, and accelerated technological transformation, Portugal needs officers who are prepared technically and intellectually, but above all morally qualified.”