Marcelo Rebelo, Portugal’s President tests positive for Covid-19 ahead of the elections

The President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, came back positive for Coronavirus, as revealed in a statement published on the Portuguese Presidency’s official website on Monday night.

The 72-year-old, who took office in 2016 and is trying to seek a second term in the country’s January 24 national race, is allegedly asymptomatic.

In a residential area in Belem, west of central Lisbon, the President is self-isolating and has suspended all his agenda for the coming days.

In Portugal, where the Prime Minister and his cabinet are in charge of day-to-day affairs, the president is largely a figurehead.

Nevertheless, he wields great influence, and he holds the power to appoint the prime minister and dissolve parliament.