“My support for Dr. Engineer Carlos Moedas is not about whether he will win or not, it’s about the city of Lisbon, our daily life, and what is most important for developing that project,” stated Manuela Ferreira Leite, speaking to journalists during an electoral campaign event with the candidate for the presidency of the Municipal Council by the PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition.
Alongside Carlos Moedas, after walking through the streets of Telheiras in the Lumiar district, the former PSD president highlighted the “enormous courage” of the mayor in advancing the general drainage plan project.
When asked if the city is better, she replied, “at least underground it surely is, especially for Lisbon’s future.”
“In that regard, I have no doubts that a garden may be ruined, cobblestones might not be in the best shape, and trash collection may face occasional challenges, because it depends on various factors, but one thing I am certain of is that if a catastrophe occurs in Lisbon, Lisbon is secure,” she emphasized.
Regarding whether the surface tragedy involving the Glória elevator, which happened on September 3 and resulted in 16 deaths, will impact Sunday’s local elections, Manuela Ferreira Leite remarked that “it’s utterly barbaric to think that there could be any relation between such a disaster and the personal actions of someone leading the city.”
“I find it such a bizarre idea that I can’t even comprehend how there could be an association of ideas on this matter,” she said.
In 2021, when Carlos Moedas ran for the presidency of the Lisbon City Council for the first time and won without an absolute majority, the former PSD president also participated in his electoral campaign.
After four years under the social-democratic mayor’s governance, Manuela Ferreira Leite highlighted the investment in the city’s drainage, noting, “20 years ago, Engineer Carmona Rodrigues launched the project, and for 20 years, no president had the courage to proceed with it.”
“Why? Because it is extremely costly and obviously requires funding. An immensely high amount is being invested in unseen work,” she noted, explaining that Carlos Moedas knew it was an underground project that would extend beyond a single term, thus “he couldn’t finish the term and showcase the work,” yet he still proceeded.
“It is a sign of civic courage put in service of the city, which no other president has managed to do in 20 years,” she emphasized.
The former social-democratic leader also stressed the importance of this project to protect the city of Lisbon from climate change, recalling the disaster of the floods in the Valencia region, Spain, in October 2024.
“I can’t help but recall that Lisbon has much worse conditions than Valencia, so we were at imminent risk of a catastrophe,” she stressed, reinforcing that Carlos Moedas already has the city’s drainage project “underway.”
Manuela Ferreira Leite also noted that the money spent on the drainage project “could go to gardens and flowers,” but Carlos Moedas chose to do “something underground to save Lisbon.”
“I think it has been very underemphasized in the campaign, so underemphasized that the majority of people don’t know what it is. Yet, it is the structural work to save Lisbon from any storm, large floods that could occur in Lisbon,” she declared.
When asked if she agrees with Carlos Moedas’s perspective that the choice is between his candidacy and that of Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), the social-democrat replied: “I find such an option so bizarre that I don’t see how it’s possible to choose.”
“If the electorate is well aware, they will know what has been done and what is being done that is not visible,” she added.
Within the context of the electoral campaign for Sunday’s local elections, this event in Lisbon was the first in which Manuela Ferreira Leite was present.
Last week, her presence was expected at a dinner supporting the PSD candidate in Amadora, but the former social-democratic leader did not attend “for personal reasons.”
In addition to Carlos Moedas (PSD/CDS-PP/IL), candidates running for the Lisbon City Council in the upcoming local elections include Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), João Ferreira (CDU-PCP/PEV), Bruno Mascarenhas (Chega), Ossanda Líber (Nova Direita), José Almeida (Volt), Adelaide Ferreira (ADN), Tomaz Ponce Dentinho (PPM/PTP), and Luís Mendes (RIR).
