“There can be no construction in the city without the knowledge of the city council. I guarantee that with me as the mayor, that will never happen,” Pedro Duarte told journalists today, addressing the advance of the second phase of the metrobus project.
When asked about the council being informed of the advancement, as reported earlier, Pedro Duarte noted that he was “somewhat surprised.”
“The people of Porto saw trees being felled in an absolutely unacceptable manner, and we realized that the municipal officials said nothing and did nothing, particularly those responsible for the Environment, which makes it even more shocking,” he stated.
Filipe Araújo, a candidate for the Porto City Council presidency from the independent movement Fazer à Porto, is the current vice-president of the municipality and the person in charge of the Environment and Climate Transition.
“When we see trees being cut down like that, I have to believe that those responsible for the Environment need to step in, as they say, and do something. Whether it was out of distraction or because he has other priorities these days, I don’t know,” Pedro Duarte remarked about Filipe Araújo.
For Pedro Duarte, his opponent “may have just been distracted, but it’s a distraction with very complex consequences for the city’s life.”
When questioned about Emídio Gomes, the next president of Metro do Porto and a supporter of his campaign against tree cutting and in favor of maintaining the bike path near the City Park, Pedro Duarte expressed hope that “he helps the city.”
“I’m not expecting the new president of Metro to help me, but to help the city. Sometimes helping just requires common sense and responsibility. I believe common sense leads us to conclude that, at this stage, it’s necessary to pause and rethink that project,” he stated.
He also admitted to having “talked a lot with Emídio Gomes” about the metrobus process, “even before he dreamed of becoming the president of Metro,” as one of the people he consults “from a technical standpoint.”
“Formally, he will have to take office,” an event scheduled for Wednesday, “and from then on, the conversation will be different, more formal,” anticipating that Metro do Porto will consider “the city’s interests on one hand and secondly, it has to dialogue with the Porto City Council.”
The candidates for the Porto City Council include Manuel Pizarro (PS), Diana Ferreira (CDU – PCP/PEV coalition), Nuno Cardoso (Porto Primeiro – NC/PPM coalition), Pedro Duarte (PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition), Sérgio Aires (BE), current vice-president Filipe Araújo (Fazer à Porto – independent), Guilherme Alexandre Jorge (Volt), Hélder Sousa (Livre), Miguel Corte-Real (Chega), Frederico Duarte Carvalho (ADN), Maria Amélia Costa (PTP), and Luís Tinoco Azevedo (PLS).
The current executive consists of a majority of six elected officials from Rui Moreira’s movement and an independent councilor, with the remaining members being two elected from PS, two from PSD, one from CDU, and one from BE.
The local elections are scheduled for October 12.
