Opposition concerns, including those from PS, PCP, Livre, BE, and Cidadãos Por Lisboa (members of the PS/Livre coalition), were voiced during a private city council meeting in the absence of social-democrat Carlos Moedas, the main figure in this controversy, as he was attending the presentation of the ‘Benfica District’ on Tuesday.
The project, aimed at expanding the capacity of Estádio da Luz, was introduced by Benfica president Rui Costa, who is running for re-election in October.
In response to inquiries, Carlos Moedas’ office stated that the mayor attended the ‘Benfica District’ presentation “as he does with many other significant city projects in various sectors.”
“It is a potential investment intended to energize and add value to the development of a city area, focusing on the requalification, modernization, and transformation of a space accessible to Lisbon residents,” the mayor’s office explained.
The same source highlighted that besides the Lisbon City Council President, the event was also attended by “many other representatives, including those from the Government”: “It doesn’t make sense to interpret these presences as endorsements in the ongoing SLB election process.”
“Contrary to previous Lisbon City Council presidents, Carlos Moedas assures he will not participate in any honor committee for candidates in football club leadership,” the statement noted, referencing socialists António Costa and Fernando Medina, who joined Luis Filipe Vieira’s honor committee for reelection to SLB presidency in 2020.
On Tuesday, in the Lisbon Municipal Assembly meeting, Urbanism Councilor Joana Almeida (an independent within the PSD/CDS-PP leadership) stated that “no process for the ‘Benfica District’ has been submitted to the Urbanism Department of the City Council.”
The PS faction criticized Carlos Moedas’ presence at the ‘Benfica District’ urban project presentation, calling it “an unacceptable political maneuver.”
“It’s indefensible to use a club’s campaign to promote his municipal campaign,” declared Socialist Councilor Pedro Anastácio, accusing the city mayor and PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition candidate in the October 12 municipal elections of acting like “an owner of everything,” using municipal resources for self-promotion.
The PCP termed Carlos Moedas’ attendance at the Benfica event as “a regrettable election maneuver disregarding the institutional duties of a Lisbon City Council President,” highlighting that the urban project might require engagement with city services such as licensing and monitoring.
“The mayor must ensure the integrity, neutrality, and impartiality of the services he oversees, free from any doubt or suspicion,” urged the communists.
From Livre, Councilor Rui Tavares raised concerns about “a possible non-compliance with the PDM [Municipal Master Plan] regarding impermeable areas” about the ‘Benfica District’ project. Vice-Mayor Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP) responded, stating, “it’s not yet a project; currently, it’s just a notion, an idea, a vague concept that one day might turn into a project to be evaluated and decided upon when submitted to the Municipal Council.”
“What we view negatively is that President Moedas pre-empted any evaluation by the Municipal Council, and with his Tuesday presence, politically validated this project for electoral gain,” accused Livre.
BE expressed “serious concerns about the fairness and transparency” of urban procedures in the city, stemming from Moedas’ appearance at the Benfica presentation with “a project not yet licensed by the municipality, with its compliance with the PDM publicly unverified,” demanding documentation on this topic.
For Cidadãos Por Lisboa, the social-democrat Moedas should not publicly endorse “without reservations and in advance, support for an urban undertaking that, due to its scope and size, necessitates a thorough and impartial municipal review”: “Unless he is speaking more as a candidate for the October municipal elections than as Lisbon City Council President.”
