Duarte Cordeiro addressed reporters at the national headquarters of the Socialist Party (PS) in Lisbon, following a session on environment and climate as part of drafting the party’s electoral program for the upcoming legislative elections in May. When asked if he would consider running in the May 18 legislative elections, he reiterated, “I’ve had the opportunity to answer that question several times: I am focused on my professional role.”
When questioned about the possibility of becoming a minister, Cordeiro emphasized that “this is neither the time nor the place to discuss such prospects.”
During this press briefing, the former Minister of Environment and Parliamentary Affairs also responded to questions about Fernando Medina’s decision not to be included in the PS candidate lists for deputies.
“It is a personal decision. From what I understand, it wasn’t due to a lack of availability from the PS that he is not on the lists, and I think it’s a decision that should be respected,” replied Duarte Cordeiro, who served as deputy mayor of Lisbon when Fernando Medina was mayor.
Recalling that he himself had declined to be part of the candidate lists in the 2024 legislative elections due to his name being associated with Operação Influencer, Duarte Cordeiro expressed understanding towards the decision of the former Finance Minister.
“I think Fernando Medina will, from what I know and from our conversations, still contribute to the electoral campaign so that we can secure victory in the next legislative elections,” he added.
Summarizing the meeting that took place this afternoon at Largo do Rato, and which included participation from PS Secretary-General Pedro Nuno Santos, Duarte Cordeiro affirmed the party’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 and protecting 30% of land and marine areas by 2030.
Outlining several principles for guiding public environmental policies—specifically, ensuring youth and public engagement in decisions, and aligning economic growth with climate protection—Duarte Cordeiro criticized the current government’s approach to renewable energy.
“Renewable energy has been one of the main drivers of our country’s economy in recent years. But there is a sense of inaction, a lack of dialogue from the government, and some cooling in the sector, with some investors leaving Portugal,” he lamented.
Another criticism from Duarte Cordeiro concerned fiscal incentives for building energy efficiency, asserting that the end of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) should not halt public policies in this domain.
“Discontinuing successful policies with significant impact on families, after the PRR, is a mistake,” he warned.
Echoing comments earlier made by Pedro Nuno Santos during the session, Duarte Cordeiro also advocated for public climate change policies to be “subject to efforts for institutional and party consensus.”
