“I’m Mariana, from the Liberal Initiative,” she said with a smile. “What’s that?” replied cheese vendor Conceição Marques. “It’s a political party that supports really good things for Setúbal.”
In the municipal elections, the Liberal Initiative runs alone as an ‘outsider’, facing competition from a former communist municipal leader backed by the PSD and CDS, the current mayor (CDU) who was the deputy to the former leader, a socialist parliamentarian, and a second-choice candidate from Chega, after their first candidate resigned two months ago.
Conceição Marques had heard of the party but did not know who Mariana Leitão was, and she shared her grievances with the State, particularly the Directorate-General of Veterinary Medicine, which “closed her cheese factory a year ago.”
“I don’t know what to do,” she lamented tearfully, receiving a hug from Mariana Leitão, who promised the support of the local liberal candidate. “Whether or not you vote for us, we’re here to help.”
“After this, I promise I will speak with you. I am a candidate for the City Council, and I will meet with you. We have a strong connection with our Assembly of the Republic members, and if it’s an area where the Assembly has responsibilities, we will see what can be done,” economist Flávio Lança told the 73-year-old woman, who was also praised by others, such as fishmonger Hélder Lopes.
“I saw the debate on television. While others were fighting among themselves, you were talking about Setúbal,” he said.
In her first municipal campaign action where she engaged directly with the public without the support of other parties, Mariana Leitão appeared comfortable with fruit and fish vendors, discussing the price of vegetables. She bought two hair clips, one blue and one lilac, for her daughters and an elastic with figures—”my youngest is crazy about Stitch.”
Earlier, Mariana Leitão was moved by a young couple sharing raspberries and exchanged thoughts with Júlia do Carmo, whose grandchildren live outside Setúbal.
One of them “went to Germany to earn three times more than here,” while others sought employment outside the city, Júlia do Carmo lamented, as her husband explained the difference in the color of the fish gills.
“We need to ensure that people who want to stay here can do so,” replied Mariana Leitão, shortly before asking a fruit vendor to place flyers of the Liberal Initiative on top of those distributed by other candidates who had already been through the market.
“Ours are prettier,” she said.
