As reported in the campaign plan released by the coalition composed of the Communist Party of Portugal (PCP) and the Ecologist Party “The Greens” (PEV), the CDU will organize events in Lisbon or Setúbal on six out of the 13 days of the official campaign period.
These two electoral constituencies are where the CDU achieved its best results in the last legislative elections. In Lisbon, the coalition garnered almost 50,000 votes, securing two parliamentary seats. In Setúbal, it ranked as the fourth most popular political force with nearly 39,000 votes, earning one seat.
Apart from these constituencies, the CDU will also be active in the Porto district, where they won the last of their four parliamentary seats, with three campaign events planned in the area. Moreover, there will be campaigns in Beja, Santarém, and Braga, each hosting two campaign days.
In Évora, traditionally a CDU stronghold until the 2022 legislative elections, the coalition plans a single campaign event, mirroring the strategy in Aveiro, Viseu, Faro, Coimbra, and Castelo Branco.
Averaging three events per day, the CDU’s campaign will encompass rallies, community engagement, and parades, kicking off this Sunday with a lunch in Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon, followed by a “work march” in Seixal, Setúbal.
On Monday morning, the campaign will transit to Coruche in Santarém, returning later to the Setúbal district for a dinner event in Sines. Subsequently, the focus will shift northward across the River Tagus with activities planned in Covilhã and Viseu.
For the remainder of the first campaign week, the CDU caravan will traverse the electoral circles of Castelo Branco and Viseu before reaching Porto on Wednesday. Later, the campaign will head south again, stopping in Beja, Faro, and closing Friday in Évora.
During the first campaign weekend, the coalition will be in Braga and Porto on Saturday, and will return to Lisbon on Sunday for what is anticipated to be a major highlight with a parade and rally in the capital.
In the second week, the CDU will primarily focus on Lisbon and Setúbal, though they also have planned visits to Santarém, Coimbra, and Beja before closing their campaign with a parade in Porto and a rally in Braga.
In the last legislative elections, the CDU recorded its worst performance, securing 3.17% of the votes and electing four deputies.
For the upcoming elections, PCP Secretary-General Paulo Raimundo indicated the coalition’s aim is to increase its number of votes and parliamentary seats. However, he did not set specific electoral targets, emphasizing that the current quartet of representatives is insufficient to counter “right-wing policies.”
