Leader of the CDS-PP, Nuno Melo, has set the objective of maintaining or enhancing the party’s influence at a local level in his first municipal elections as the head of the party. CDS-PP currently leads six municipalities across the country.
In the 2021 local elections, under the leadership of Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos, the CDS-PP retained control over the six municipalities of Velas (Azores), Santana (Madeira), Ponte de Lima (Viana do Castelo), Vale de Cambra, Oliveira do Bairro, and Albergaria-a-Velha (Aveiro).
Due to term limits, the mayors of Velas, Vale de Cambra, and Albergaria-a-Velha cannot seek re-election. Nuno Melo stated that the party would field candidates with significant political experience, highly regarded by local communities beyond their party affiliation.
In Vale de Cambra, the party has nominated the current sports councilor, André Martins Silva, while in Albergaria-a-Velha, Carlos Coelho, current president of Branca parish council, has been named the candidate.
In a National Council meeting held on July 21st, Nuno Melo highlighted exclusive CDS-PP candidacies in Viseu, where former deputy Hélder Amaral will run against the social-democrat mayor Fernando Ruas. Additionally, in Vila Franca de Xira, the head of the parliamentary group, Paulo Núncio, (one of only two CDS-PP deputies contesting these elections) will lead the bid.
The centrist party’s campaign is also characterized by challenging coalition negotiations to support the re-election of Lisbon’s incumbent mayor Carlos Moedas, aiming to include the Liberal Initiative (IL) in the agreement.
The coalition for the October elections between the PSD, CDS-PP, and IL proposes that the social democrats appoint, in addition to the mayoral candidate, the second, third, and sixth positions on the list. The CDS-PP will choose the fifth and seventh, and the IL the fourth and eighth spots.
The agreement grants the PSD the position of president of the Municipal Assembly, with the IL getting the second position, and the CDS-PP the fourth. Four years ago, the CDS-PP secured the vice-presidency of the Lisbon City Council, held by Filipe Anacoreta Correia, who has since left the party.
While not all candidacies are finalized, the CDS-PP has secured numerous coalitions with the PSD in municipalities including Coimbra, Cascais, Oeiras, Vila Nova de Gaia, Matosinhos, Famalicão, Castelo Branco, Caldas da Rainha, Amarante, Maia, Estremoz, Barreiro, Alcochete, and Montemor-o-Novo.
In areas where they ran independently in the last local elections, the CDS-PP received 1.50% of the votes (74,869), according to the Ministry of Internal Administration’s general-secretariat data.
