José Luís Carneiro addressed the media today regarding his interview for the newspaper Eco, in which he asserted that a loss for his party in the municipal elections “will never be a defeat for the secretary-general of the PS.”
“On the night of the elections, if AD loses, will you demand the resignation of Dr. Luís Montenegro because he lost the municipal elections? It is the same question that must be posed in reverse,” he argued.
In Carneiro’s view, in the event of a loss, responsibility falls on “all” socialists, including himself, for failing to “meet the people’s needs.”
“But I want to tell you one thing, I am convinced that we will win the elections,” he emphasized.
Carneiro posed a question: “Have you asked Dr. Luís Montenegro if he will resign from government duties if he loses the municipal elections?”
The PS secretary-general denied that his stance should be seen as shifting blame to his predecessor, Pedro Nuno Santos.
“I have always taken on my responsibilities, anyone who knows me, as you have for a long time, knows that I was a mayor who always shouldered my responsibilities. I was a Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, who didn’t give others orders without knowing what was happening,” he assured.
Carneiro described himself as “a realistic optimist,” expressing “confidence in the quality of the projects” presented by the PS.
The PS leader noted that “each candidacy is assessed locally, as highlighted by the study from the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation a few days ago.”
“Citizens in each local community assess, firstly, the profile of the candidate for the City Hall, secondly, they value many ethical issues and the programmatic dimension, and the party only comes in third place,” he pointed out.
