The president of the District of PS, Hugo Costa, acknowledged that the election results necessitate a “profound reflection,” expressing a “natural concern” about the strength achieved by Chega.
The leader of Chega highlighted the “extraordinary mobilization” of local branches and members, indicating that Chega could potentially win the district in a future election.
“We came first in 11 out of 21 municipalities. In 2024, we only won in two municipalities. Now we won in 11. We believe that, in the next election, we can win the district,” José Dotti told the Lusa agency.
The primary aim of Chega was to secure victory in the district, which did not materialize as the Democratic Alliance (AD) secured 30.60% of the votes, compared to Chega’s 28.13% and PS’s 20.81%. He highlighted that “the difference was mainly marked by Ourém, a stronghold of the AD, where the difference was very significant.”
In analyzing the results, it was noted that PS lost approximately 15,000 votes, of which “10,000 went to Chega and 5,000 to the AD.”
Based on this analysis, José Dotti reinforced the belief that the party might achieve victories in the upcoming local elections.
“We will certainly win town halls in the district. We have good candidates and teams being formed in the parishes. We were already preparing for the local elections before these legislative ones,” he stated.
When asked about the decline of PS in the district, the Socialist District President, Hugo Costa, argued that the results “reflect what happened at the national level” and emphasized the need for a “profound reflection,” congratulating AD on their victory.
“The Socialist Party must deeply reflect on what happened or what did not happen. This is not done 12 hours after the electoral act, but we must do it seriously,” he stated to Lusa today.
Although the PS won only in one municipality (Coruche), Hugo Costa insisted that “the district’s results follow the national trend” and acknowledged the strength achieved by Chega.
“There is a natural concern about seeing three deputies elected by Chega. We must look very carefully at these results.”
Regarding the reasons for Chega’s growth, he pointed out that “people need answers and are not finding them in traditional parties.”
Concerning the 2025 local elections, the socialist leader assured that the party intends “to win the largest number of municipalities possible” and expressed confidence in the work done by the current local officials.
The AD coalition won the electoral circle of Santarém, with 30.60% of the votes and four deputies, while Chega was the most voted party in 11 of the 21 municipalities of the district, securing 28.13% of the votes and three mandates. The PS elected two deputies in the Santarém circle.
