“The victory of the CDU reflects the clear desire of the population to change the direction of the municipality and to restore a different approach to politics, based on dedication, transparency, and a true commitment to the public interest,” stated Fernando Ruas, who was already a councilor without a portfolio in this Alentejo municipality.
In comments to the Lusa agency following Sunday’s elections, Fernando Ruas acknowledged that the CDU presented “candidates with proven track records in their professional fields and connected to the local reality,” which ultimately earned “the trust of the voters in the municipality.”
The coalition led by the PCP and including the PEV emerged victorious in the elections in Aljustrel, securing an absolute majority by winning three out of the five seats in the municipal executive, outperforming the PS, whose list was headed by Nelson Brito, the mayor from 2009 to 2021.
Fernando Ruas indicated that the priority areas for this term “are education, housing, water cycle, economic development, health, and environment.”
Prior to this, he told Lusa, “initially, it will be essential to familiarize myself with the projects with community funding to still ensure their execution.”
Alongside this, the communist mayor expressed his intention to “listen attentively to the municipal workers, who are the ones who know best the internal functioning and the actual needs of the services.”
“This consultation is crucial to subsequently improve their working conditions and, consequently, ensure a quality and excellent service delivery to the population,” he concluded.
The Aljustrel City Council was led by the CDU from 1976 to 2009, at which point the PS seized the municipality, managing it for 16 years thereafter.
In Sunday’s elections, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Internal Administration, the CDU ‘seized’ the council by obtaining 93 more votes than the PS.
The communist-led coalition secured 2,561 votes (46.72%), while the socialists received 2,468 votes (45.02%). In third place was Chega, with 329 votes (6.00%).
Out of 7,703 registered voters in the municipality, 5,482 (71.17%) cast their vote. There were 68 blank votes (1.24%) and 56 null votes (1.02%).
