University of Porto's Rector refutes allegations of pressure from Education Minister, asserting he never made such a statement.

In a heated exchange, the Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, and the rector of the University of Porto, António Sousa Pereira, find themselves at odds over allegations of pressure to accept candidates for the Medicine course.

The dispute began following a news report in Expresso, where Sousa Pereira accused various "influential" people of pressuring him to enroll 30 candidates who did not meet the minimum score for the special access course for graduates from other fields into the Master's program in Medicine.

However, the Minister of Education has denied these allegations, expressing "enormous disappointment" with Sousa Pereira and accusing him of lying about the matter. Alexandre claims that it was Sousa Pereira himself who contacted him regarding the issue.

Sousa Pereira, on the other hand, maintains that he was indeed pressured by "influential people with access to power." He insists that he did not lie in the Expresso report and guarantees the integrity of his statements.

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Porto is at the heart of the problem. The Minister of Education has offered to create extraordinary vacancies for students who did not obtain the minimum score in the required exam to enter the Faculty of Medicine.

The identity of these influential people remains unknown, as they have not been named in the Expresso report.

In a recent press conference, the Minister of Education stated that he would accept Sousa Pereira's resignation if it were offered. Sousa Pereira, finding the Minister's accusations of lying "strange," has yet to make such an offer.

This controversy continues to unfold, with the future of the University of Porto's Medicine course admissions process hanging in the balance.

University of Porto's Rector refutes allegations of pressure from Education Minister, asserting he never made such a statement.