“I will not be leaving political life; I am leaving, at this moment, municipal life, because I will not run again for president of the Municipal Assembly of Leiria,” stated Lacerda Sales, elected by the PS party. He emphasized the importance of these functions being “rotational.”
Lacerda Sales, a former Secretary of State for Health, described the challenges of his current municipal term.
“I began in 2021 while still having demanding responsibilities at the Ministry of Health. We had to overcome a pandemic that officially ended in 2023, though it was already declining in 2022. Nevertheless, it was indeed a very challenging term, with the first two years being particularly difficult,” he explained, noting that the remaining years were “more stable.”
The president of the Leiria Municipal Assembly also expressed the belief that it was appropriate to give someone else the opportunity, highlighting that there are “younger people who are very qualified to perform the role.”
“So, with much tranquility and serenity, I bid farewell today to the Municipal Assembly. I did not say goodbye to either civic or political life, and thus I remain available for whatever the country needs from me, and the city of Leiria as well,” he assured.
When asked about the possibility of a future candidacy, Lacerda Sales stated this is not currently in his plans, affirming that he has “no political agenda” at present.
Lacerda Sales was named a defendant in June 2024 in an investigation related to the case of twins treated at the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon.
The issue in question involves the 2020 treatment of two Brazilian twin sisters who obtained Portuguese nationality and were treated with the drug Zolgensma. With a total cost of four million euros (two million euros per individual), this medication aims to control the spread of spinal muscular atrophy, a neurodegenerative disease.
Regarding the legal proceedings, the former official noted that it “remains in the inquiry phase” and, from a political perspective—leading to a parliamentary inquiry committee—he believes it was “a non-issue turned into a case,” ultimately becoming a “political futility.”
“From an ethical standpoint, I sincerely believe in respecting equity, justice, access to health, and clinical decisions, and it is on this basis that I understand this matter,” he emphasized, expressing his patient anticipation for the legal process’s conclusion.
Conversely, he affirmed that this investigation is unrelated to his decision to leave municipal life following the next elections, expected in September or October. He clarified that he has returned to the National Health Service, resuming his medical duties at Santo André Hospital in Leiria.
In his speech during the Municipality Day commemorative session, Lacerda Sales referred to the occasion as the “closing of a cycle,” as it marked his “last May 22 as president of the Leiria Municipal Assembly.”
