The election took place in the CDS-PP Parliamentary Group room in the Assembly of the Republic, where the two deputies cast their votes in a designated ballot box.
After a brief voting process, party staff retrieved and revealed the ballots, with both showing support for the sole candidate, Paulo Núncio.
CDS-PP President, Nuno Melo, attended the election, which was covered by the media at the party’s invitation.
Paulo Núncio served as the parliamentary leader of the CDS-PP during the previous legislature, marking the party’s return to parliament last year after failing to elect any deputies in the 2022 legislative elections. The centrist parliamentary group also includes João Almeida, who replaced Nuno Melo when he was appointed as Minister of National Defense.
Speaking to journalists, Nuno Melo praised the reelection of Paulo Núncio, highlighting the “extraordinary work” of the two centrist deputies over the past year, noting their distinction in political battles against much larger groups.
“The CDS is a founding party of democracy and has demonstrated once again that, regardless of its parliamentary group size, it typically offers excellent talent that makes a difference,” he stated.
When asked about the party’s priorities for the XVII Legislature, which begins today, the still-serving Minister of National Defense mentioned an electoral program that was endorsed, noting it as a basis for the Democratic Alliance (AD), but did not specify any areas.
The CDS-PP leader mentioned the party’s contribution to this electoral program and considered that “the government’s program must be coherent with this electoral program.”
While highlighting the “cohesion of the political project that won the legislative elections” on May 18, Nuno Melo stated that the AD consists of “two different parties, with different styles and, at many times, legislation that reflects these differences.”
“What we would never accept or do is allow the CDS to be diluted in this project,” he emphasized.
The CDS-PP leader also stated that the parliamentary group “will support the government,” but declined to comment on the composition of the next executive, leaving such announcements to the designated Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.
Nuno Melo expressed hope that the swearing-in could take place “in the coming days.”
