The BE’s local committee announced today that during the Members Assembly, they discussed the national and local political situation and the formation of the candidate lists for the upcoming municipal elections, unanimously approving Helena Pinto and Diogo Gomes as the lead candidates for Torres Novas’ City and Municipal Assemblies, respectively.
“I am running for the Torres Novas City Council, primarily motivated by the same reasons that led me to run in previous terms, essentially the belief that more and better can be done for the population,” stated Helena Pinto, the BE’s head candidate and former party deputy elected by Santarém, who also served as a councilwoman in Torres Novas.
During her two terms as a councilwoman in Torres Novas (2013-2017 and 2017-2021), Helena Pinto claimed to have presented “numerous proposals” and “always alternative paths” for municipal management, which she intends to continue.
“Sometimes I succeeded, like in the case of the free TUT [Transporte Urbano Torrejano]. Other times, not so much, especially concerning lack of transparency, bureaucracy, inefficiency of some municipal services, particularly in Urban Planning,” she said.
With an extensive background in political and social activism, the BE candidate for the presidency of Torres Novas City Council highlighted the need to provide a “strong and constructive response” to current times.
“I accepted the BE’s challenge because we are living in times where the left’s response must be strong, alternative, and constructive. I want to contribute in my municipality and council to find solutions to current problems in housing, environmental protection, and solidarity,” she declared.
Helena Pinto is a social organizer and victim support technician, residing in Meia Via. She served as a deputy in the Portuguese National Assembly (2005-2015) and held two terms as a councilwoman in Torres Novas (2013-2017 and 2017-2021).
A feminist activist, she has a long history of advocating for women’s rights and against domestic violence, and she has served as president of the União Mulheres Alternativa e Resposta (UMAR).
The BE list for the Municipal Assembly is headed by sound and image technician Diogo Gomes, 22, a native and resident of Torres Novas, who has represented BE in the Municipal Assembly “as a substitute.”
The BE’s statement also notes that additional “candidates” for these two municipal bodies, as well as head candidates for the parishes, will be announced in the coming weeks alongside the presentation of the electoral program’s initiatives.
In the 2021 municipal elections, the PS won 45.2% of the votes in Torres Novas, electing five of the seven municipal executive members. The PSD/CDS-PP coalition (16.9%) elected one councilor, as did Movimento P’la Nossa Terra (16.5%), in a municipality that had 30,795 registered voters at the time.
The current mayor, Pedro Ferreira, is serving his third and final term, with the PS announcing lawyer José Trincão Marques, 58, as their candidate for Torres Novas City Council.
Apart from PS and BE, Movimento P’la Nossa Terra has also announced sociologist Manuela Dias, 64, as their candidate, alongside Chega, CDU, and PSD, who have also named their lead candidates.
The businessman José Carola, 73, is running for Chega, while artist and art history doctoral candidate Júlio Costa, 35, will represent CDU. The PSD announced businessman Tiago Ferreira, 48, as their candidate.
The municipal elections are expected to take place between September and October.
