“The population entrusted their vote to a political force that so far has not fulfilled its promises. There is a disbelief in politics because the promises are completely false and cannot be realized,” stated Nelson Ferreira, the candidate for the parish council of Santo António.
Nelson Ferreira served as the spokesperson for Chega’s candidacy for the Funchal City Council, led by Luís Filipe Santos, who is currently campaigning for the local elections on October 12 by visiting various social neighborhoods and sites in the high areas of the parish of Santo António.
Santo António is one of the ten parishes comprising the municipality of Funchal, the most populous in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, with 108,129 inhabitants (official data from 2024).
“Chega is here to change the paradigm, to alter the entire process of 50 years of democracy governed by the PSD and the PS,” he stated, near the Santo Amaro housing complex, emphasizing that the party is conducting a “proximity campaign” focused on direct contact with the population from door to door.
Nelson Ferreira expressed that Chega aims to solve some housing issues in the city, particularly the cases of overcrowded apartments in social neighborhoods and young people living with their parents. If elected, the party plans to build 100 homes in the municipality, distributing 25 per year of mandate, targeting young individuals up to 35 years old.
The party also intends to address mobility issues in the high areas of the city by creating several parking zones.
“The parking zones are promises of the municipal executives, but never realized,” he warned, considering that both the PSD and PS, which led the municipality between 2013 and 2021, have failed in this regard.
“It has been a constant concern for that population that the roads become completely congested, creating unsafe conditions,” he noted, cautioning about the difficulty rescue vehicles face.
The current executive of Funchal City Council consists of six councilors from the PSD/CDS-PP coalition, led by Cristina Pedra, and five without portfolio from the Confidence coalition, headed by the PS.
In these local elections, candidates for the Funchal City Council include Paulo Azevedo (Nova Direita), Mónica Freitas (PAN), Marta Sofia (Livre), Luís Filipe Santos (Chega), Rui Caetano (PS), Miguel Pita (ADN), Fátima Aveiro (JPP), Raquel Coelho (PTP), Válter Rodrigues (MPT), Jorge Carvalho (PSD/CDS-PP coalition), Ricardo Lume (CDU — PCP/PEV coalition), Sara Jardim (IL), Liana Reis (RIR), and Dina Letra (BE).
