In Águeda, located in the Aveiro district, PSD’s national municipal tour continued without the participation of party leader and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. During the event, Bugalho, who headed the AD list in the last European elections, took the opportunity to reflect on the first three months of José Luís Carneiro’s leadership of the Socialist Party (PS), characterizing the period as “not necessarily happy.”
Bugalho critiqued the PS leader, claiming confusion around his stance. He highlighted Carneiro’s call for five regime pacts with the government, while simultaneously criticizing the government for alleged affiliations with Chega.
“It’s peculiar for the PS to seek agreements with those they accuse of aligning with Chega. It’s time for Dr. José Luís Carneiro to decide if he wants dialogue or accusations, solutions or problems, agreements for national interest, or party populism,” Bugalho stated.
The speaker noted contradictions within PS ranks, referencing João Azevedo in Viseu, who has expressed intentions to negotiate with any party, defying Carneiro’s earlier assertions of unwillingness to negotiate with André Ventura’s party.
“In our local campaigns, we’re separate from all extremes: neither with those claiming all politicians are the same, nor with those desiring the status quo,” he declared.
Bugalho continued, emphasizing, “It’s crucial to remind PS leadership that it is the PSD who won against Chega and will continue to do so, whereas the PS lost to Chega. This is a significant distinction.”
He challenged José Luís Carneiro regarding the government’s most recent housing policy package, which has faced socialist criticism. “Is there a shortage of houses available for purchase or rent in Portugal? Yes or no? We all know there is. Second, will the government’s measures introduce more houses to the market? Yes or no?” he asked.
Bugalho proposed a bet with opposition leaders, suggesting that if the Assembly of the Republic approves a reduction of VAT for construction, fiscal revenue will likely increase within one to two years despite the VAT reduction.
Further praising Águeda, he commended the achievements of the “Juntos por Águeda” movement over the last two terms, highlighting the PSD’s inclusivity for independents and distinguished community members.
The PSD’s candidate in Águeda, running in coalition with MPT, is the current Mayor Jorge Almeida. Almeida, an independent, vowed to maintain the municipality’s status as having some of the lowest taxes in the country.
The candidates for Águeda’s municipal leadership include Catarina Martins (Chega), Milton Matos (CDU), Cláudia Afonso (BE), Antero Almeida (CDS), and Francisco Vitorino (PS). The municipal elections are scheduled for October 12.
