After three rallies in the Porto district within a few hours, in Gondomar, Valongo, and Gaia, José Luís Carneiro concluded his municipal campaign at the rally for Manuel Pizarro’s mayoral candidacy in Porto, describing it as a “very special moment.”
“Firstly, because I never imagined being here today as the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, and secondly, because as the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party and aspiring to be the Prime Minister of my country, I am on the brink of Manuel Pizarro’s victory, my dear friend, as the Mayor of Porto. No one is unaware of our democratic disagreements,” he stated.
The socialist leader did not hide the “democratic disagreements” he had with the socialist candidate in the past and therefore was “open-hearted” to celebrate what he anticipated to be a victory in Porto, forecasting that Manuel Pizarro would be a “very rebellious mayor.”
Carneiro argued that Pizarro’s role would span 12 years, equivalent to three terms.
“That’s what we’re discussing. It’s for a new municipal cycle that will allow Porto to be catapulted into national interest. I want you to know that with him, we’ll also build a new development model for the country, as I won’t dispense with his experience,” he conveyed.
The PS leader emphasized the need to build a new vision for the country, rooted in “equality, justice, integrity, public service sense, and mission sense.”
“Because we need to restore citizens’ trust in their democratic institutions, which is done by exemplifying citizenship and through the example of our mayors who are models of attitudes and behaviors in executing local duties,” he highlighted.
Carneiro reiterated several times the past divergences with Pizarro, considering that the PS candidate “knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff in the essential moments of life.”
“I want to tell you that this afternoon, when I heard the words of the current Prime Minister suggesting he would treat differently those mayors aligned with the Government, I couldn’t believe it and had to hear and re-hear the Prime Minister’s statements,” he criticized.
For the PS leader, this statement by Luís Montenegro is “precisely the illustration of what politics should not be.”
“And that’s why I hope to count on all of you to help Manuel Pizarro be that exemplary mayor who, in the name of our values and principles, will lead the destinies of the most important city council, one of the most important in our country,” he extolled.
Carneiro today accused the Prime Minister of committing “a crime” and “violating the duty of impartiality” for urging the Portuguese to vote for candidates “more aligned with the Government.”
“Dr. Luís Montenegro, when he told the Portuguese to vote for the candidates more aligned with the Government, in my view, committed a crime. It was the crime of breaching the duty of impartiality that he swore to serve upon taking office as Prime Minister,” accused José Luís Carneiro during a rally in Valongo in the final stretch of the campaign.
The PSD president today urged the Portuguese to “choose very well” their mayors next Sunday, advising them to vote for “the most qualified and most aligned” to build a partnership with the Government.
