The PAN party decided on Wednesday, during a national leadership meeting, to support Marco Almeida’s candidacy for the leadership of the second-largest municipality in the country, Sintra.
The formal support of the PAN adds to the backing announced by the PSD and the IL for Marco Almeida’s campaign for the Sintra City Council, under the slogan “Always with the People of Sintra”.
This electoral project also has the support of Fernando Seara, former president of the Sintra executive from 2002 to 2013, with Marco Almeida as his deputy during three terms. Seara will lead the list for the Municipal Assembly of Sintra, while Manuela Ferreira Leite, former president of the PSD, will act as the campaign representative.
In a statement, PAN echoed Marco Almeida’s words: “Our candidacy is built on trust, experience, and a commitment to Sintra’s future. We are truly local. The diversity of support we have received shows a shared path towards more efficient, closer, and more responsible management.”
In April, former social-democratic councillor Marco Almeida announced he would run as the PSD candidate for the presidency of the Sintra City Council in the upcoming local elections set for October 12, later garnering IL’s support, which now includes PAN.
In the 2013 local elections, he led an independent autarchic movement list, “Sintrenses com Marco Almeida”, running against the PSD. He was elected councillor and served in a non-permanent capacity, ending his social-democratic affiliation in February 2014.
In the following 2017 elections, he again led a list for the Sintra City Council, as an independent under the coalition “Juntos pelos Sintrenses”, consisting of PSD, CDS-PP, PPM, and MPT, with former Christian Democrat leader José Ribeiro e Castro heading the list for the Municipal Assembly. However, he was defeated by Basílio Horta of the PS and remained a councillor, rejoining the PSD in August 2018.
The current executive of the Sintra City Council, led by socialist Basílio Horta, who has completed three terms and cannot run again, comprises five PS members, three PSD members, one CDS-PP member, one CDU member, and one independent (former Chega).
Currently, the known candidates for the Sintra City Council are Marco Almeida (PSD/IL/PAN), Ana Mendes Godinho (PS/Livre), Maurício Rodrigues (CDS-PP), Pedro Ventura (CDU – a PCP/PEV coalition), Tânia Russo (BE), and Rita Matias (Chega).
