Former PSD leader, speaking to journalists prior to visiting the Education, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment Cooperative for Inclusion in Cascais (Cercica), emphasized that the criteria for determining the victorious party in local elections have long been established.
“For many years, the party that secures the most councils wins the local elections, thus obtaining the presidency of the National Association of Municipalities. From 2013 until now, the PS was the winner, but as of yesterday, the winner is the PSD, [because] it secured more councils and will hold the presidency of the National Association of Municipalities,” he stated.
Luís Marques Mendes also noted that Sunday’s local elections demonstrated that “each election is unique, different from the last and the next.”
“I think this is what enriches democracy; they are always very different elections. Local elections are different from legislative, presidential, European, and all other elections, and this is one of the riches of democracy. That is why we must always await each result with humility, because the vote of the Portuguese at one time is one way, another time is another,” he argued.
When questioned about Chega’s result, the candidate asserted that “there is not a single doubt” regarding “who lost and fell far short of expectations.”
Addressing the statement made by the leader of Chega, who is also a presidential candidate and claimed that the upcoming presidential elections at the start of next year would signal the “final internment of bipartisanship,” Marques Mendes remarked that “local elections are highly personalized.”
“The presidential elections are also strongly personalized. In local elections, people largely desire energy, competence, and credibility. I believe that in presidential elections, generally, people seek a person with experience, independence, and the ability to foster agreements,” he remarked, expressing comfort “in that respect.”
Concerning the loss of municipalities by the PSD, Marques Mendes stated that in local elections “all parties unexpectedly lose councils and gain others, and what counts, in the end, is the definitive result.”
The candidate for the presidential elections next January also called for dialogue in municipalities without an absolute majority.
“The path is to have a spirit of dialogue and negotiation between those with more votes, who therefore preside over the municipality, and the opposition,” he advocated, suggesting that the “next local cycle is very demanding and challenging.”
The presidential candidate also commented on a survey by Correio da Manhã, indicating a technical tie between Henrique Gouveia e Melo, Luís Marques Mendes, and André Ventura in the January elections.
“This poll could not be happier or more comforting for me, as I am in a technical tie with the first-placed, who a few months ago had a 20-point difference. I am in second place, rising, and if the election were held now, I would advance to the second round, with a chance of winning the presidential election in a runoff,” he noted.
Luís Marques Mendes mentioned that “several recent polls” give him “great confidence,” but he emphasized that he analyzes these studies “with great humility, avoiding arrogance and triumphalism.”
Regarding the visit to Cercica, the presidential candidate described the work done by such institutions to support citizens with disabilities as “absolutely remarkable.”
