“Although we believed Sérgio Aires [current councilor and BE candidate for the Porto City Council] would be able to lead and interpret a convergence project – precisely as an independent -, we expressed our willingness to find another independent and unifying figure, chosen by both parties,” stated a letter from the Coordinating Committee of the BE/Porto council seen by Lusa.
According to the BE/Porto coordination, there were several “contacts and initiatives” to attempt a convergence, and in June, the party “reiterated its interest and availability for a Bloco-Livre candidacy, which included independents, then suggesting that Livre propose the first name for the Porto City Council, and Bloco the second; with Bloco indicating the first name for the Municipal Assembly and Livre the second.”
“After this proposal, there was another meeting between both parties, which resulted in the intention of a new meeting after the public presentation of the Livre candidacy,” but on Friday, according to the BE, Livre communicated “that their decision remains, preferring a stand-alone candidacy instead of a coalition with Bloco including independents.”
According to the party, there have been four formal meetings between the BE and Livre structures since July 2024, as well as one national meeting and written contacts.
BE argues it made efforts “for convergence and continues to publicly affirm: until the submission of lists, it is possible to unite those who truly want to transform Porto and join candidacies.”
To Lusa, Livre’s candidate for Porto City Council, Hélder Sousa, refused to comment on “the content of private negotiations” with BE because “serious negotiations are not conducted in the public square.”
“We agreed on some things and disagreed on others. There isn’t much to say,” he emphasized, also confirming that there were talks with all left-wing parties that “did not come to fruition,” despite Livre advocating “a broad convergence on the left.”
Today, BE also recalled that it met with PS/Porto when it had no candidate, but “the decision by PS to present Manuel Pizarro, in a logic of claiming Rui Moreira’s legacy, made this possibility unfeasible.”
With the PCP, “there were informal contacts,” but “when publicly addressing the issue, the response has been that, at this point, it’s not worth meeting as the candidacies are already on the ground.”
Various independent figures signed a text in the newspaper Público titled “We Still Have Time,” where they argue that “it is necessary to build, without sectarianism, a program for another city of Porto,” appealing “that, on the left, candidacies can still merge,” fearing that “PCP, Bloco de Esquerda, and Livre might end up, by running alone, not securing the election of left-wing councilors in the next executive.”
Signatories of the document include actress and director Sara Barros Leitão, singer Ana Deus, musician Ana Matos Fernandes (Capicua), author Clara Não, directors Gonçalo Amorim and Nuno Cardoso, and writer Regina Guimarães.
Candidates running for the Porto City Council include Manuel Pizarro (PS), Diana Ferreira (CDU), Nuno Cardoso (Porto Primeiro movement), Aníbal Pinto (New Right), Pedro Duarte for the “O Porto Somos Nós” coalition (PSD/IL/CDS-PP), Sérgio Aires (BE), current vice-president Filipe Araújo (Fazer à Porto movement), António Araújo (Porto à Porto movement), Alexandre Guilherme Jorge (Volt), Hélder Sousa (Livre), and Miguel Corte-Real (Chega).
The current executive comprises a majority of six elected members from Rui Moreira’s movement and one independent councilor, with the remaining being two elected from PS, two from PSD, one from CDU, and one from BE.
The municipal elections are scheduled for October 12.
