Nuno Melo, the current Minister of Defense, addressed a pressing issue during his initial speech today at a rally in Paredes, situated in the district of Porto. He revisited the matter later in the evening while speaking at a rally at Europarque, Santa Maria da Feira, attended by thousands.
“We knew this campaign would be tough, but I never thought it would stoop so low. For almost 40 days, individuals claiming to want power have belittled, defamed, and spread deplorable posters, but they will have no luck, as the Portuguese know where justice lies,” he stated.
Referring to the opposition parties’ actions concerning the case of Luís Montenegro and his family business, Spinumviva, Nuno Melo particularly critiqued the PS, describing it as a “founding party of the democratic regime.”
“Fifty years after April 25th, members of a party rummaged through confidential information of political opponents, personal data they were obliged to preserve, to manipulate them in an electoral campaign. I had only seen such actions in totalitarian regimes. We are in a fight for decency, democracy, and truth. As for ethics, we are clear,” he claimed.
Nuno Melo’s speech began uniquely, as he called Luís Montenegro to the stage to take a selfie together. Before handing the microphone to the PSD president, he advocated for a “strong majority” for the AD and labeled Pedro Nuno Santos’s PS as “the most radical ever.”
“The contest is between Luís Montenegro and Pedro Nuno Santos. It is a dispute between the moderate and the radical. The Portuguese know what they get with the AD and also know whom Pedro Nuno Santos would rely on: the PCP, Livre, BE, and PAN. Meanwhile, Chega, a party that claims to be right-wing, brought down three center-right governments: in the Azores, Madeira, and the country,” he added.
Prior to the CDS leader’s remarks, Emídio Sousa, Secretary of State for the Environment and second on the AD list for the Aveiro electoral district, delivered a speech with some unusual moments, in which he criticized both the PS and Chega, starting with praising former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho.
“The hall today is full, just like it was with Pedro Passos Coelho in 2015, when he won the elections,” stated Emídio Sousa, a comment that received acknowledgment minutes later from PSD president Luís Montenegro.
“Emídio Sousa rightly pointed out that the top candidates for Aveiro are the same as ten years ago. But he forgot to mention one thing: That 2015 result was historic, but we will surpass it in 2025,” stated Montenegro.
The Secretary of State for the Environment revisited an old criticism from some PSD sectors, accusing António Costa of “selling his soul to the devil by aligning with extremists.” He attributed extremist influences to the executives led by the current President of the European Council, which resulted in the existence of “unisex bathrooms.”
Emídio Sousa also claimed that António Costa led “the worst PS ever, where Pedro Nuno Santos flourished.” He held this PS responsible for Chega’s rise, a party fueled by the “ego” of its leader, André Ventura.
He then addressed anti-socialist voters: “There is no point in voting for Chega, we end them.”
Regarding the PS Secretary-General, Emídio Sousa characterized him as someone who spent his life “in the political bubble of radicalized left.”
During the first speech of the rally, Santa Maria da Feira’s Mayor, Amadeu Albergaria, described the AD, the PSD/CDS coalition, as “stable and responsible.”
“Luís Montenegro, who is a statesman, did more in 11 months for Santa Maria da Feira than [PS Secretary-General] Pedro Nuno Santos. The citizens of Santa Maria da Feira have no doubts about who can be the best Prime Minister,” he added.
[Updated at 22:56]
