The incident involving the Elevador da Glória was a central topic in a debate among several candidates for the Lisbon City Hall presidency during the municipal elections on October 12. Organized by CNN, the debate featured Carlos Moedas (PSD/CDS-PP), Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), João Ferreira (CDU-PCP/PEV), and Bruno Mascarenhas (Chega).
“If there are new facts, they should not be discussed publicly; they should be discussed within the Lisbon City Council. This needs to happen before the elections. There is no escaping responsibility,” argued Alexandra Leitão.
The candidate, leading a coalition of PS, Livre, BE, and PAN, criticized the current mayor, Carlos Moedas, for refusing an opposition request for an extraordinary meeting on Thursday regarding the Elevador da Glória incident, scheduling the meeting for October 13, the day after the elections.
“There are new facts that cannot be ignored,” justified Alexandra Leitão, referencing a journalistic investigation that revealed two technical incidents in October 2024 and May of this year, along with letters from Carris workers’ committee warning of maintenance failures.
Similarly, João Ferreira of the CDU accused Carlos Moedas of contradiction, stating that in two previous extraordinary meetings on the issue, “he never informed the opposition that he had received a letter from the Carris workers’ committee,” and called for a “full investigation of what happened.”
“Either Carlos Moedas thinks there are no explanations to give and doesn’t schedule a council meeting, or if he does, it’s because he understands there are explanations to give, and he doesn’t wait three weeks to do so,” stated the communist candidate.
Bruno Mascarenhas of Chega further criticized Carlos Moedas, suggesting he “shouldn’t even be a candidate for Lisbon City Hall.”
“Given the data we have today, engineer Moedas should have already dismissed Carris’s board and the transport councilor. Such a reality cannot be ignored, especially when 16 people have died,” he noted.
In response, Carlos Moedas rejected the criticisms, accusing the opposition of “politicizing a tragedy.”
“We are talking about a technical failure, and I have initiated not only an internal investigation but also an external, independent investigation, along with the investigation being conducted by the Government’s Study Office. Therefore, we must await the results of this investigation. This is all I ask,” emphasized the incumbent president.
Regarding the two incidents occurring in October 2024 and May this year with the Elevador da Glória (without injuries), which were undisclosed, Carlos Moedas described them as “minor” and noted that a transport company like Carris records more than 1,600 incidents annually.
“This cannot be used as a political weapon two weeks before the elections,” said the social-democratic mayor, showing the workers’ committee letter, insisting that “not once does it mention the Elevador da Glória or other lifts.”
He assured that “all information is available in the already established monitoring committee” and reiterated that “political responsibility is assumed through the investment made in Carris and its maintenance.”
The debate also touched upon urban hygiene and waste collection issues, criticizing the current leadership’s management and the decentralization of responsibilities to the parishes.
Carlos Moedas advocated for a more centralized model and the expansion of non-recyclable waste collection to six days a week.
Alexandra Leitão, on the other hand, supported greater decentralization and criticized the current urban hygiene management in Lisbon.
“Lisbon has never been so dirty. Lisbon has never smelled so bad. Lisbon has never had such neglected public spaces,” she claimed.
Housing was another topic discussed, with Carlos Moedas highlighting the Affordable Rent program and the delivery of 2,881 keys during his term, half for young professionals and half for families in vulnerable situations.
“We helped more than 4,200 families pay rent. It is very important to see which project we want to continue for the future,” he noted.
The mayor also confirmed that the Lisbon City Council is in dialogue with the Government regarding publicly available properties for housing and has already sent letters to ministers to use state buildings to address the housing emergency.
The topics of mobility and security were also addressed.
Candidates for the Lisbon City Hall in the municipal elections on October 12 include Carlos Moedas (PSD/CDS-PP/IL), Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), João Ferreira (CDU-PCP/PEV), Bruno Mascarenhas (Chega), Ossanda Líber (Nova Direita), José Almeida (Volt), Adelaide Ferreira (ADN), Tomaz Ponce Dentinho (PPM/PTP), and Luís Mendes (RIR).
Currently, the municipal executive includes seven members from the “New Times” coalition – PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Alliance, seven members from the “More Lisbon” coalition – PS/Livre, two from CDU, and one from BE.
