“What you can expect from me – and the members of the Government – is loyalty, naturally, but also firmness in defending the interests of Portuguese municipalities, because I know that if I defend the interests of the municipalities, I am defending the interest of Portugal,” stated Pedro Pimpão, mayor of Pombal, when asked if being of the same political color as the Government is an advantage or disadvantage for future negotiations.
In an interview, regarding the elective congress of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) set for November 13 and 14 in Viana do Castelo, the mayor noted that it is also in the Government’s interest to have a strong, demanding association that assists positively and constructively with new ideas to improve what already exists.
Discussing the candidacy to succeed Luísa Salgueiro, mayor of Matosinhos elected by the Socialist Party (PS), as head of the ANMP’s Board of Directors, Pedro Pimpão highlighted his enormous passion for the capabilities that local authorities and mayors, in particular, have played in territorial development.
“[The candidacy] arises from my availability to continue serving municipalism nationally and also to contribute my part,” he declared, hoping that the current abilities of municipalities to change people’s lives will be enhanced.
When asked if he had communicated his desire to lead ANMP to the leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Luís Montenegro, Pedro Pimpão, who is part of the outgoing Board of Directors, affirmed there is “a natural coordination with the party’s leadership.”
“And I believe it is well-regarded, hence, I have this internal vote of confidence,” he stated.
The mayor of Pombal, from the district of Leiria, re-elected for a second term on October 12, reiterated that the candidacy is non-partisan, asserting that within ANMP, there is a recognition of mayors’ roles that “extends beyond the political parties” they belong to.
“Our focus is on improving people’s lives, contributing to the development of territories, and here we are united. This is why my candidacy also aims to integrate – and I think this only makes sense – the diverse ideological trends, various party representations, and different regions of the country,” he continued, stating that municipalities of varying sizes, both territorial and population-wise, are included.
In this regard, he specified that the aim is for ANMP’s bodies (national congress, general, executive, fiscal, and advisory councils) to reflect the reality on the ground.
The Board of Directors, as the executive body, is composed of a president, five vice-presidents, and 11 members elected by the National Congress from the delegates, according to the association’s website.
“The formation of the Board of Directors and its bodies is established through the D’Hondt method. We already have that history, and what we do now is distribute according to the number of city council presidents. My perception is that the Board of Directors will include different party tendencies and also integrate independent movements,” he assured, without naming anyone.
Pedro Pimpão, 45, is a law graduate. Among other roles, he has been a deputy and president of the Pombal Parish Council.
He is the vice-president of the Intermunicipal Community of the Leiria Region and is now leaving the presidency of Social-Democratic Mayors.
In the last local elections, the PSD won the majority of the councils, reclaiming the ANMP from the PS, which had held it since 2013.
Nationally, the PSD, either alone or in coalitions, won in 136 municipalities compared to the PS’s 128, improving on their 2021 performance when they won 114 compared to the PS’s 149.
