“We will break 50 years of paralysis. We deserve a chance to change Lisbon. We will defend Lisbon here and now, with courage, with justice, with future,” stated Bruno Mascarenhas, the Chega candidate, taking on the challenge to break from governance characterized by “slogans and favors between PS and PSD.”
The presentation of the candidacy for Lisbon’s city council in the local elections on October 12 took place at Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, in the center of the capital, attended by Chega’s leader, André Ventura.
Chega’s candidate and current municipal deputy Bruno Mascarenhas began by stating that Lisbon “is surrendered to disorder, corruption, propaganda, the lie of political correctness, incompetence masked as moderation.”
“Those who walk the streets of Lisbon see what the party offices of the system do not want to see: accumulated garbage, growing insecurity, entire neighborhoods degraded, young people without houses, Portuguese discriminated against and public services in collapse,” he pointed out.
In addition to presenting Chega’s proposals for Lisbon, Bruno Mascarenhas criticized the current mayor, social democrat Carlos Moedas, candidate from the PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition, and socialist Alexandre Leitão, from the PS/Livre/BE/PAN coalition: “Moedas wants four more years to accomplish what he hasn’t. Leitão wants to govern Lisbon as if it were a PS summer dream, a ministerial council with Pedro Nuno Santos having Mariana Mortágua and Rui Tavares as ministers.”
Chega’s commitment is to “give Lisbon back to Lisboans,” considering the capital “not a field for multicultural experiences” but “the home of the Portuguese.”
“We will build 4,500 affordable homes by the end of the term and transform them into a real opportunity for families and young Portuguese who live, work, or study in Lisbon. We will turn 50% of municipal tenants into homeowners. We will end overcrowding in housing and whoever illegally occupies public or private properties, out without excuses, without favors, without exceptions,” he stated.
Advocating “zero tolerance” for illegal occupation, illegal immigration, and cronyism, the Chega candidate promised to strengthen the Municipal Police with 300 new officers and increase the competencies of municipal arbitral courts “so they quickly decide on immigration, abusive renting, illegal occupations.”
Bruno Mascarenhas also proposed a change in the waste management of the city, the provision of free day care and preschool for all “resident Portuguese families,” and reducing to zero the number of homeless people in the capital through “firm policies.”
“We will create a sports city in Parque Papa Francisco. We will reactivate the popular fair there and rescue the family memory factory,” proposed the Chega candidate, with dentist Ana Simões Silva as the second on the list.
In the 2021 local elections, Chega competed for the first time in municipal body elections, but in Lisbon, they failed to elect councilors, managing to elect three deputies to the municipal assembly, among them the current candidate Bruno Mascarenhas.
In the current term (2021-2025), Lisbon’s executive includes seven elected from the “New Times” coalition – PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Alliance, seven from the “More Lisbon” coalition – PS/Livre, two from CDU, and one from BE.
Running for the presidency of the Lisbon City Council in the local elections on October 12 are Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), Carlos Moedas (PSD/CDS-PP/IL), João Ferreira (CDU – PCP/PEV coalition), Ossanda Líber (New Right), Bruno Mascarenhas (Chega), José Almeida (Volt), and Adelaide Ferreira (DNA).
