Luís Montenegro spoke at a rally in Bragança to support the PSD candidate Paulo Xavier, who took office as mayor in 2024, succeeding the former social-democratic mayor Hernâni Dias when he left for the Government.
As former socialist ministers such as Vieira da Silva, Augusto Santos Silva, and Fernando Medina joined the PS’s local election campaign in recent days, the Prime Minister also referred to their presence, arguing for the need for simplification in both central and local administration in a portion of his speech.
“We need a philosophy and a city hall that does not add bureaucracy. The previous PS government, with various figures now joining the local campaigns, had the chance to do what they are now advocating against when they had the opportunity,” he criticized.
In Bragança, where he insisted that people should have “the exact same opportunities” as the rest of the country, the Prime Minister assured that investments outlined in the Recovery and Resilience Plan will indeed proceed.
“Even those projects that might be delayed, like the refurbishment of schools and some roads—I’m thinking, for example, of the construction of the road from Bragança to Rio de Onor—projects in the PRR, rest assured,” he stated.
Montenegro confirmed that the Government will fulfill “all those projects,” even if it means securing additional funding.
“We will not fail to utilize PRR funds, nor will we abandon any projects due to possible delays. And do you know why I can guarantee this? Because our public accounts are in order, and when necessary, we will secure other sources of financing,” he declared.
The candidate Paulo Xavier highlighted the Prime Minister’s connection to Rabal, a parish of Bragança, which Montenegro reiterated as his “promise as a native of Trás-os-Montes.”
“My connection to Rabal, dear Paulo, I suppose it didn’t need highlighting today, because the entire country already knows,” he said, implicitly referencing the Spinumviva case, during which it was revealed that he owned rural land in this parish of Bragança.
“If there is a time when everyone knows where I come from and what my roots are, it was communicated in ways that I couldn’t match, no matter how much I talked about it during my visits here to this county and this region,” he said, in a light-hearted tone.
Following the rally, the speaker urged everyone to join a caravan through the city’s streets, departing from the cemetery.
Paulo Xavier is standing for election for the first time in Bragança. From 2013 to 2024, he served as deputy mayor, assuming the presidency in 2024 by default, due to Hernâni Dias’s move to the Government.
The PSD has led the municipal executive since 1997, currently composed of five social-democratic members: a president and four councilors, one without portfolio, alongside two PS members who are also councilors without portfolios.
