“It was a very active campaign, heavily engaged, with debates, even at the local level, and with the interest of the young people. The big question was whether young people would be interested or not. Well, the young people, in the last Legislative elections, showed increasing participation. There is no reason at the local level, where people know the candidates better and are closer, not to see an increase in participation as well,” stated Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
The head of state noted that another reason for not being concerned about abstention is that the last local elections were held in 2021, “at a time when we were emerging from the pandemic” of COVID-19, “which might have led fewer people to the polls.”
After voting in Molares, Celorico de Basto, in the district of Braga, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa reiterated what he said on Saturday in his appeal message to vote and spoke about the importance of today’s elections at a time when “local issues gain much relevance due to the money that is there to be spent.”
“There has never been such a high number of lists, altogether. That is what the National Election Commission said. And, on the other hand, local issues gain much relevance due to the money that is there to be spent. A part of this money comes from Europe, and it is a lot, and it is the only time we will have so much money again. Part of it is spent through local councils,” he emphasized.
Speaking to journalists after greeting locals and before getting into his car to head to a local restaurant where his order of sponge cake was awaiting, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed that the population should have a “great commitment to voting” as the next four years will be “decisive.”
“Either we make the leap with this money, as it is many billions of euros, or it is a wasted operation,” he said.
On this issue, and since the amounts in question from European funds will be managed by the Commission for Coordination and Regional Development (CCDRN), when asked if it would not make more sense for the population to start voting directly for these structures, the president was cautious in his response.
“They already vote indirectly in that the Municipal Assemblies, that is, the municipalities vote in choosing some members of the CCDR. Now, in the future, that involves a decision about regionalization. This was an issue that was not resolved in the past. It was the former prime minister who said that it would probably not be addressed until 26. We will see if the Parliament, in the future, intends to take that step,” he said.
Regarding the Local Authorities Law, without giving his opinion on possible changes but confessing to be a “defender of the very important role of Municipal Assemblies,” Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that if there is a change in the law that reaches him before the end of the term, he will express his opinion.
This is Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa’s last term as President of the Republic.
Today, the head of state did not want to provide dates for the next elections but once again pointed to the date that currently convinces him the most.
“I have already said that my inclination is towards January 18, but we are still far away, we are still on voting day,” he mentioned.
In the local elections, which take place between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., voters will choose the governing bodies of 308 municipal councils, 308 municipal assemblies, and 3,221 parish assemblies.
Another 37 parishes will choose the executive in citizen plenaries, as they have fewer than 150 voters.
According to the Electoral Administration of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), there are 9,303,840 registered voters for the local elections.
