“U João Ferreira emphasized the “fundamental need for a thorough, complete, and swift determination of the causes and responsibilities for something that should never have happened,” but said he doesn’t demand Carlos Moedas’s resignation. “What this situation confirms is unpreparedness for the office he holds, but we have had four years of management that has confirmed this in different ways. Now, we will have elections in a few days, in a week, the citizens of Lisbon will decide the solution for this and other problems,” stated the candidate. In a statement released on Friday, the CDU (PCP/PEV) councilors, including João Ferreira, expressed “their regret over the alleged lack of support from the City Council to victims and families, which not only contradicts the mayor’s public statements but also disrespects decisions made by the Lisbon City Council.” The PCP highlighted that in an extraordinary executive meeting held on September 8, three proposals were approved, all of which, despite being worded differently, included a clause indicating the need for the City Council of Lisbon to ensure support for all victims of the accident. The derailment of the Gloria elevator, managed by the municipal company Carris, occurred on September 3, resulting in 16 deaths and two dozen injuries, involving both Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities. In the aftermath, Carlos Moedas maintained, “it would be cowardice” to resign. The head of the “Viver Lisboa” coalition list, Alexandra Leitão, on Friday accused Mayor Carlos Moedas of failing to provide psychological support or create a municipal victim support fund. “Nothing was done. Carlos Moedas is not up to the position he holds,” she stressed in a social media post quoting the RTP report released today. The incident was addressed in two extraordinary Lisbon City Council meetings on September 8 and 16, with another discussion scheduled for October 13, the day after the local elections, by Carlos Moedas’s decision, “to avoid politicizing a topic that requires all technical clarifications.” In a clarification note regarding the RTP news, Carris stated on Friday that it has, “from the very first moment,” provided support to all requests received “through the numbers available on official channels,” notably through its Social Support Office, and in close coordination with the Lisbon City Council and the insurer Fidelidade. In the local elections on October 12, candidates for the presidency of the Lisbon City Council include Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), Carlos Moedas (PSD/CDS-PP/IL), 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). Currently, the municipal executive includes seven members from the “Novos Tempos” coalition – PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança, seven from the “Mais Lisboa” coalition – PS/Livre, two from the CDU, and one from the BE.
