In the antechamber of the Passos Manuel Library at the Assembleia da República, a sign reads: “Honorable members, us and the future.” This quote from Francisco da Costa Gomes, a former President of the Republic, was delivered at the inaugural session of the Constituent Assembly.
Today marks another inaugural session, the first of the XVII legislature, where elected deputies are gathered throughout the day at the library for the traditional welcoming ceremony.
This location, even equipped with a mirror for last-minute touch-ups before the official photo, is where data for the deputies’ identification cards are collected and various forms are completed.
João Pedro Louro, the leader of the Social Democratic Youth and a newcomer to parliamentary affairs, admitted feeling “a great responsibility to represent the Portuguese people and especially to give voice to the new generations.”
The Social Democrat deputy has prioritized the construction of a more flexible education system and labor market, as well as the “digital protection” of children and young people. He expressed hope that the legislature will last its full term, “for the sake of stability and governance.”
Ricardo Lopes Reis, representing Chega, is a new deputy but is already “well-directed” and familiar with the environment. Having served as the party’s advisor last year, he stirred controversy with his reaction on Twitter to the death of Odair Moniz, a Cape Verdean citizen fatally shot by a PSP officer in Cova da Moura, stating: “One less criminal… one less Bloco voter.”
The deputy stated he discussed the issue with Chega’s president, André Ventura, noting that “things are resolved” and emphasizing that the priority now is “work, work, work,” expressing “a huge sense of responsibility and mission.”
Eva Cruzeiro of the PS, for whom the parliamentary corridors are still new, confessed to feeling “completely lost.”
“The space is larger than I thought, with many corridors and doors; this is a moment to train my sense of direction and see if I can navigate in the days to come,” said the rapper and activist.
The deputy acknowledged that the left faces “a great challenge ahead” and identified tackling domestic violence, digital crimes, and juvenile delinquency as her priorities.
Patrícia Gonçalves of Livre expressed a “sense of mission, after so many years helping to build a party that is making its mark.”
The new deputy hopes parliamentary proceedings progress “in a balanced manner and respecting parliamentarism.”
She carried a cloth bag given to the deputies containing a notepad, an edition of the Assembly of the Republic’s Rules, the Constitution, and a collection of books.
With a ‘pin’ of the regional flag of Madeira on his lapel, Filipe Sousa, a double newcomer as both a deputy and representative of the Juntos Pelo Povo (JPP), admitted feeling nervous but with a “sense of mission” and “enormous responsibility” to convey the issues of the “pearl of the Atlantic.”
Despite acknowledging that his election as deputy will change his routine and not yet having a residence in Lisbon, Filipe Sousa says he has packed for a four-year legislature and promises to work on “building bridges” and addressing “the issues affecting the real country,” intending to avoid “political skirmishes or personal attacks.”
Among his priorities for this legislature, Filipe Sousa emphasizes that he will not be a “desk-bound deputy” and vows to initiate discussions on a new referendum for regionalization and the possibility of creating “regional parties” in the future, even though he anticipates facing “centralist resistance.”
