In the opening speech of the 21st Summer University of the PSD, held today in Castelo de Vide (Portalegre), Carlos Moedas stated that moderation is his guiding principle in politics.
“We want to combat extremism, whether it comes from the left or the right, and believe me, I have been heavily criticized for this. I repeat, the extreme left and extreme right are equally bad. There is indeed an equivalence in these extremisms: they are equally harmful,” he asserted.
Moedas believes these “extremisms can only be countered by understanding what has changed in politics,” advocating for a balance between the traditional method of politics—more hierarchical, vertical, and rational—and the new approach, which is more emotional, horizontal, and digital.
“What concerns me is that parties that should be at the democratic center, that have experienced democracy, as I saw during four years at the Lisbon City Hall: a party like the PS radicalizing to that extreme of emotional radicalism. The PS chose that chaos in Lisbon,” he accused.
“How can a party like the PS join a demonstration against the police? How can a party like the PS block concrete measures for a city?” he questioned, citing the example of rejecting the IMT exemption for young people three times or “blocking the construction of 600 new beds for students in Lisbon” because they involved private sector collaboration.
Moedas stated he doesn’t care if the construction “is public or private,” as long as there is “a solution for the students arriving in Lisbon.”
“I often say that since I entered politics, I’ve always had a very clear leadership, always consistent. What I call my own style of leadership is the three I’s: impact, intimacy, and inspiration,” he declared.
The mayor of Lisbon highlighted an action taken by his administration, involving the removal of political posters from central parts of the city, leveling new criticisms at the PS for “political cynicism.”
“We removed all those posters. We planted 50,000 trees in Lisbon over four years. But today, it is sad to see a party like the PS, a party with responsibility, once again filling the city with posters,” he accused.
He posed a challenge, both to the PS and to the parties in the left-wing coalition.
“When the PS talks to me about sustainability, talks about pollution, when the PS is polluting the city with large posters, then that is political cynicism. Because today, pollution also includes that (…). I would like to know what the environmental activists from that left bloc and also from the Left Bloc think about this visual pollution,” he questioned.
Contesting the Lisbon City Council elections on October 12 are Alexandra Leitão (PS/Livre/BE/PAN), Carlos Moedas (PSD/CDS-PP/IL), João Ferreira (CDU, PCP/PEV coalition), Ossanda Líber (New Right), Bruno Mascarenhas (Chega), José Almeida (Volt), Adelaide Ferreira (ADN), and Tomaz Ponce Dentinho (Democratic Alliance, PPM/PTP coalition).
In the current term (2021-2025), the municipality is led by social democrat Carlos Moedas, who governs without an absolute majority, elected by the “New Times” coalition – PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Alliance.
