During an electoral campaign event in Serpa, located in the Beja district, the president of the PPM addressed inquiries from journalists regarding whether his party’s exclusion would negatively impact the AD—PSD/CDS Coalition in the upcoming legislative elections on May 18.
“Well, I don’t call this the AD. The AD was us,” he stated, alluding to the Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition, which participated in the 2021 legislative elections comprising the PSD, CDS-PP, and PPM.
He emphasized, “There is no AD now, it is just another PSD/CDS coalition which has occurred multiple times,” adding that the two parties are “stealing the name of a pre-existing coalition.”
“By removing one [of the parties], it’s stealing. Therefore, this is what they may end up doing to the Portuguese people. This is my fear. If they treat a friend this way for years, how will they treat the Portuguese people? This is what I call conscience,” he argued.
Accompanied by Paulo Estêvão, the PPM’s secretary-general, and Bento Fialho, the legislative candidate from Serpa in the Beja constituency, Gonçalo da Câmara Pereira urged Portuguese citizens to “reflect on this process” concerning the PSD and CDS alliances.
“And consider that the PPM has more to offer than merely being a travel companion and being mistreated by its friends,” he added, setting a goal of electing at least one deputy.
When pressed by journalists on whether the AD—PSD/CDS Coalition could face voter backlash, the PPM president affirmed, recalling the significant contributions that the political force offered in past election coalitions.
“The PPM never secured many votes, but it enhances any coalition it enters. For instance, during Sá Carneiro’s era, the PPM provided the votes that resulted in five more deputies in the Assembly of the Republic,” he noted, also referencing “Pedro Santana Lopes, who won the Lisbon City Council elections by including the PPM and secured victory by 700 votes.”
He further cited “Carlos Moedas, who won the Lisbon City Council with an additional two thousand votes because of the PPM’s involvement. The PPM boosts any coalition,” he assured.
During their visit to Serpa, the PPM delegation toured the nearly deserted municipal market, finding only a single vegetable vendor in the central plaza and a few open permanent stores.
The party president also advocated for advancing regionalization and implementing measures to halt the depopulation of the country’s interior, attracting more young people to regions like Alentejo.
Leaflets featuring the Beja candidate’s face on the front page were not unfamiliar to local recipients. Cláudia Colaço, a store owner selling regional products at the market, remarked that Bento Fialho “is more well-known than the Moura olive oil” in the area.
While visiting a nearby café, where they greeted more people, Gonçalo da Câmara Pereira reminisced about past times: “I still remember the years when a morning ‘bagaço’ [a type of brandy] and a piece of bacon gave one strength for digging… But people also died young.”
