In Lisbon, following an event at the Champalimaud Foundation, Manuel Alegre, honorary president of the Socialist Party, refrained from commenting on Carlos Moedas’s remarks about the late former minister and PS leader Jorge Coelho concerning the 2001 Entre-os-Rios bridge collapse.
The former presidential candidate addressed the media after attending the António Champalimaud Vision Award 2025 ceremony, where he was asked about last Wednesday’s elevator accident in Lisbon’s Glória neighborhood, which resulted in 16 fatalities and several grave injuries.
“I am in mourning, as are all Lisbon residents and all Portuguese,” stated the prominent socialist.
When questioned about the actions of Lisbon’s mayor, Alegre remarked, “I do not think he has handled things appropriately. I believe he did not assume leadership of the situation as he should have.”
Regarding Carlos Moedas’s remarks about the Socialist Party, Alegre commented that Moedas was “very unfortunate” and added, “I believe there was an issue of poor manners in how he criticized the PS candidate for Lisbon City Hall [Alexandra Leitão].”
“I refrain from judging the manner in which he referred to Jorge Coelho, who is not here to defend himself and who acted nobly and honorably when he resigned after that accident,” Alegre continued.
In response to Moedas’s statement on television that Coelho resigned as Minister of Social Equipment because he was informed of the bridge’s instability prior to the 2001 disaster, Alegre responded, “I have never heard of such a thing. He acted in a dignified, pure manner.”
On the potential resignation of the Lisbon mayor, who is seeking reelection in the October 12 local elections, Alegre said, “I do not call for his resignation; that is a matter of his conscience.”
