In his campaign launch speech, Miguel Corte-Real expressed a desire to direct the revenue generated from the tourist tax towards enhancing the quality of life for city residents, rejecting its use for housing construction for newcomers.
Corte-Real, representing Chega, advocated for expanding supported rent to include Porto’s middle class as opposed to auctioning the construction of more public housing.
In the cultural sector, the former JSD leader and PSD ex-member proposed reallocating the 10 million euros currently spent annually on the 72 employees of the company Ágora to cultural initiatives.
Regarding mobility, Corte-Real aimed to halt “the nonsensical projects in the city,” stating that “many of them serve no real purpose,” and insisted that these projects take place while the city remains operational. They must be “rapid and strictly necessary.”
He vowed to present plans next week to divert a substantial portion of freight transport from the Via de Cintura Interna.
Competing for the Porto Municipal Chamber are Manuel Pizarro (PS), Diana Ferreira (CDU), Nuno Cardoso (Porto Primeiro movement), Aníbal Pinto (Nova Direita), Pedro Duarte for the “O Porto Somos Nós” coalition (PSD/IL/CDS-PP), Sérgio Aires (BE), current vice president Filipe Araújo (Fazer à Porto movement), António Araújo (Porto à Porto movement), Alexandre Guilherme Jorge (Volt), Hélder Sousa (Livre), and Miguel Corte-Real (Chega).
The current council is led by a majority of six members from Rui Moreira’s movement, one independent councilor, with two members from PS, two from PSD, one from CDU, and one from BE.
Local elections are scheduled for October 12.
