“I always say, those who choose Sintra are from Sintra, and I chose Sintra,” declared the PS/Livre coalition candidate to Lusa, affirming her commitment to win and stating that after spending day and night in the municipality since February with full dedication, she believes people now see her as someone dedicated to making Sintra what she envisions.
The former Minister of Labor and Social Security visited Estefânea market in the Union of Parishes of Sintra, accompanied by dozens of supporters and candidates, including former Minister of Economy Pedro Siza Vieira, head of the list for the Municipal Assembly João Soares, and first candidate for the parish Céu Ribeiro.
On a day focused on the economy, Mendes Godinho advocated for a “green lane for everything related to business activities,” creating “conditions to eliminate bureaucracy in all matters related to economic expansion.”
“The municipality has already seen significant economic growth, increasing from approximately 30,000 companies to 51,000, which is extraordinary. It is already one of the main exporting municipalities, and what we want here is to truly leverage all this installed business capacity and talent,” she emphasized.
During the market visit, Mendes Godinho began by dancing with two young supporters to the tune of the anthem “Oh Ana, oh Ana, you are the president of the union…” She greeted vendors and customers, distributed flyers and canvas bags for the campaign, receiving encouragement and wishes of “happiness” and “good luck.”
The former government official inquired at a butcher shop about the state of business, to which the butcher replied, “like the country,” confirming to Ana Mendes Godinho that the effects of inflation are being felt.
In a food store, it was mentioned that there’s an attempt to “chase away” merchants who have been there for “40 years,” which surprised the entourage, followed by a request: “Please look out for us.”
The group then proceeded to Heliodoro Salgado, in front of the Lisbon University Institute (Iscte) campus, where Ana Mendes Godinho noted that establishing a university in Sintra is “a decisive step,” particularly for enhancing young people’s qualifications.
In addition to the “Simplex program for companies,” the candidate proposes establishing “an agency to support economic activity in the municipality,” with specialized training academies, especially focusing on “health and the pharmaceutical industry,” and the availability of Instituto Superior Técnico to “launch a materials lab at Pardal Monteiro for an innovation center for sustainable construction, and also a strong emphasis on digital skills.”
“It is a decisive moment to make diversity a factor of innovation and growth and to create a partnership engine with the economy to capitalize on this opportunity, also resulting from structural investments such as Iscte,” she pointed out.
Pedro Siza Vieira highlighted the “inexhaustible” energy of the former government partner, emphasizing that “it is very important to vote in the municipal elections because, unlike in recent years, local governments now have more competencies and resources to meet the needs of the population.”
Currently, the executive led by Basílio Horta, who completed three terms and cannot run again, is composed of five PS members, three PSD members, one CDS-PP, one CDU, and one independent (former Chega).
Running for Sintra City Hall in Sunday’s election are Ana Mendes Godinho (PS/Livre), Marco Almeida (PSD/IL/PAN), Pedro Ventura (CDU, PCP/PEV coalition), Maurício Rodrigues (CDS-PP/PPM/ADN), Rita Matias (Chega), Tânia Russo (BE), and Júlio Gourgel Ferreira (ND).
