The leader of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP), Paulo Raimundo, has called for women to rise up in defense of their rights. This appeal was made during a CDU campaign event in Benfica, Lisbon. The CDU is an alliance of the PCP and the Ecologist Party “The Greens”.
“At this moment, I am reaching out to all women, to those who keep the country and economy running, to initiate a significant uprising—not for the CDU, but for their lives, their rights, against all forms of violence and discrimination,” stated Raimundo.
During his speech, Raimundo highlighted the potential election of candidates from the Lisbon constituency, including Sofia Lisboa, Mariana Silva, Tânia Mateus, and Heloísa Apolónia from Setúbal. He also mentioned CDU list leaders from the districts of Faro, Évora, Santarém, Aveiro, and Braga.
“The power is in the hands of women to form a large CDU parliamentary group with a majority of female deputies,” he emphasized.
In 2022, the CDU set a goal to elect six deputies, with potentially only Paula Santos from Setúbal in the parliamentary group. For Heloísa Apolónia, Sofia Lisboa, Mariana Silva, and the Évora lead candidate to be elected, the CDU would need to replicate its 2019 success, where it secured 12 seats.
During a walkabout in Benfica, Raimundo entered a betting shop merely to distribute CDU materials, avoiding participation in gambling, which he described as “a matter of luck and chance.” The CDU, he noted, believes in “reason, confidence, and solutions.”
“The critical mark is the CDU,” he declared.
In a local café, despite claiming to have plenty of energy, Raimundo didn’t pass up on a coffee.
“If there were as much energy to solve the country’s issues as I have, things would be better. The country requires the dynamism of those in the CDU, and a little coffee always helps,” he remarked.
Close to the event location, Raimundo engaged with Aurora Marques, a pensioner who expressed some despondency.
Sitting on a public bench with two friends, she commented, “We’re not going to make it.”
Raimundo responded, “Do you think we’re always going backward? That can’t be. Enough with what already is. Confidence, confidence, confidence,” he repeated.
Yet, his call for action seemed to have little impact on her.
“We’re very down, we are. It used to be good when Álvaro Cunhal was there, and I went to the party and things were good. But now, I see it all very low,” Aurora told Lusa, but maintained a glimmer of hope: “Maybe things will improve.”
