“I am deeply saddened that a party like the Socialist Party is using a month of tragedy, affecting all of us, all Lisbon residents, to politicize the tragedy because the Lisbon City Council will not fail in this support and has not failed”, stated Carlos Moedas, during a campaign event in Alvalade, attended by three PSD ministers – António Leitão Amaro, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and Margarida Balseiro Lopes – as part of the municipal election campaign for October 12.
The PSD mayor responded to the socialist Alexandra Leitão, candidate for PS/Livre/BE/PAN for the Lisbon City Council, who claimed that “Carlos Moedas is not up to the position he holds” because “he was not truthful” regarding support for the victims and families of the Glória elevator accident.
Alexandra Leitão’s position follows a report broadcast by RTP on Friday – a month after the Glória elevator accident – where families of the deceased and survivors reported they were never contacted by the Lisbon City Council or the municipal company Carris.
Similarly, the two PCP councilors, including João Ferreira, head of the CDU list, expressed on Friday “their outrage at the alleged lack of support from the City Council for victims and families” and demanded explanations from Carlos Moedas.
The head of the “Viver Lisboa” coalition, Alexandra Leitão, accused the Mayor, Carlos Moedas, of not providing psychological support or creating a municipal fund for victims of the Glória Elevator fall.
Lusa | 23:59 – 03/10/2025
The derailment of the Glória elevator, managed by the municipal company Carris, occurred on September 3, causing 16 deaths and leaving dozens injured, including Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities.
In statements to journalists today, Carlos Moedas refused to discuss specific cases, notably the two testimonies aired by RTP, including a widower of one of the deceased, who was an employee of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, and a woman who was injured and is awaiting a response in a continued care unit.
“I will not, of course, provide specific cases of individuals here, because they are in mourning, but one of the examples given is of a person for whom we paid for their child’s trip to Lisbon to see their mother, but I will not discuss it out of respect for these people,” he explained, arguing that discussing these testimonies would violate individuals’ privacy.
Expressing “enormous indignation” at the position taken by the PS, the PSD mayor recounted that on Friday, in the midst of the electoral campaign, he was contacted by the “father of someone who died,” who was in Manchester, England, had his phone number, and needed help “with something specific”: “I stopped the campaign to provide that help.”
Emphasizing that both the Lisbon City Council and Carris have been “continually working” to support victims and families, Carlos Moedas reiterated that “all individuals have been contacted” through his chief of staff, highlighting that he received family members from South Korea, Canada, France, and England.
“All individuals have been contacted and are aware of my availability”, he stressed, refusing to politicize the tragedy, especially for those in mourning.
Regarding the measures approved by the Council in the extraordinary meeting of September 8, including the creation of a municipal fund to support the victims, the social democrat assured they are being implemented and reinforced that all individuals are receiving the necessary assistance for “all they need”: “Here the fund is a formality.”
The Glória elevator accident was discussed in two extraordinary meetings of the Lisbon City Council, on September 8 and 16, and a new discussion is now expected on October 13, the day after the municipal elections, decided by Carlos Moedas, with the justification of not wanting “to politicize an issue that deserves all technical clarifications”.
