Addressing around 400 people in a garden adjacent to the Clérigos Tower, the candidate of the coalition ‘O Porto Somos Nós’, bringing together IL, CDS-PP, and independents, Pedro Duarte, outlined the 10 main points of his candidacy, speaking to an audience that included the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Carlos Abreu Amorim.
According to Pedro Duarte, free public transport in Porto will be financed through European programs, increased tourism tax, and parking fees from non-residents.
In a city he envisions with “more trees, more green spaces, fewer cars, and less noise,” Pedro Duarte also committed to “planting 15,000 trees in the first term” across Porto streets.
Social issues are also a priority, with initiatives to combat elderly loneliness and remove “hundreds of homeless people” from Porto’s streets.
Regarding tourism, Duarte aims for “smart tourism” that “respects both visitors and residents” and plans to establish a municipal health service to enhance hospitals, universities, and research centers, positioning Porto as a national and international model in primary care.
In terms of housing, he aims to provide affordable homes for young people by repurposing state and municipal vacant buildings, noting that 13% of Porto’s residents live in social housing, compared to the national average of 3%. He intends to address this issue “without displacing anyone, but by reducing the size of some social neighborhoods.”
Duarte proposes creating municipal teams to monitor illegal and irregular immigration, warning that newcomers should “live in accordance with the laws, social norms, and civilizational values” of the country.
He plans to increase the Municipal Police force by 100 officers and urges the state to add the same number to Porto’s PSP Metropolitan Command, alongside investing in public lighting and video surveillance.
In his speech, which began with a focus on Culture accessible across neighborhoods and demographics, Pedro Duarte expressed a desire to enhance talent and innovation, attracting young creators and researchers to make Porto the capital of science, knowledge, technology, and the future.
Luís Valente de Oliveira, a former professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and president of the Northern Region Coordination Commission, as well as a former Minister of Education, Scientific Research, Planning, Territorial Administration, Public Works, Transport, and Housing, was introduced as the campaign’s mandate bearer.
Other candidates for Porto’s City Hall include Manuel Pizarro (PS), Diana Ferreira (CDU), Nuno Cardoso (Porto Primeiro movement), Vitorino Silva (RIR), António Araújo (Porto à Porto movement), Aníbal Pinto (Nova Direita), Sérgio Aires (BE), and current Vice President Filipe Araújo as an independent.
The current executive consists of six members elected by Rui Moreira’s independent movement, three from PS, two from PSD, one from CDU, and one from BE.
Municipal elections are expected to take place between September 22 and October 14 this year.
