“We have not had any contact yet, but we are open to dialogue. So, there is availability. It’s a matter of talking, it’s a matter of analyzing the proposals. Obviously, I have to discuss this with the national leadership of my party for political reasons,” said António Barbosa.
Luís Filipe Menezes returns to preside over the Vila Nova de Gaia City Hall after winning the local elections on Sunday, representing the PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition, but without an absolute majority.
Following the PSD/CDS-PP/IL with 40.74% (up from 17.57% in 2021) and five seats, the second most voted was the PS, with 35.85% (down from 57.79% in 2021) and five seats, and the third was Chega, with 10.97% of the vote and one seat.
In statements to journalists at a restaurant in Francelos, Vila Nova de Gaia, before receiving the PSD president and after a victory speech in which he greeted his main adversary, former Socialist Secretary of State João Paulo Correia, Menezes did not anticipate whether he intends to make governance agreements.
“I’m just finishing winning an election, starting from scratch, let me savor it. I don’t know what I’ll do tomorrow,” he told journalists, returning to the idea that he would like to understand the city’s administration, which was led by the PS with an absolute majority (nine of the 11 elected) over the last 12 years, especially regarding the staff structure.
João Paulo Correia, reacting to the defeat at the campaign headquarters, announced that a “new cycle” begins for a re-candidacy in four years.
“I was the main person responsible for the choices. Hence, I am the primary and sole person responsible for this electoral result. I believe this result is not an end. It is the start of a cycle that instead of starting in power, will begin in opposition, and that is the main message I would like to convey. Today we are not closing a cycle, we are not putting a full stop. Today we start a cycle, which due to the result, does not begin in power, in governance, but starts in the opposition,” said João Paulo Correia.
Today, in statements to Lusa, the candidate from the third most voted party in Vila Nova de Gaia, Chega, expressed satisfaction with the position achieved in the city council and said he would continue to work as he wants to “advance much further.”
“I consider that we had a good result. At the Assembly level, we went from one to four. In parish councils, we went from three to 30. So, I consider we had a good result,” he summarized.
In 2021, Chega was the fifth most voted force with 4.2% of the votes, moving ahead in this election of CDU (which dropped from 4.83% in 2021 to 3.82%) and the Left Bloc (dropping from 4.6% to 3.17%).
Gaia, in the Porto district, changes political color after 12 years of Socialist governance, first with Eduardo Vítor Rodrigues and then with Marina Mendes, who only took office in June after the resignation of the university professor following a judicial case that led to his loss of mandate.
Ex-PSD president Luís Filipe Menezes returns after having governed this municipality from 1997 to 2013 and after running for the Porto city hall in 2013, where he lost to the independent Rui Moreira.
