National Council of the PSD for analysis of local authorities will be in Lisbon in October – Politics
The National Council of the PSD will meet in October, in Lisbon, to analyze the results of Sunday’s municipal changes and mark the party’s Congress as direct.
The theme was part of today’s afternoon meeting of the party’s Political Commission, which pointed out October 14 as the most likely date and Lisbon as a closed place, this being the first National Council of the PSD under the leadership of Rui Rio to be held in the capital, after the municipal victory of the social democrat Carlos Moedas on Sunday in this county.
At the board meeting, according to reports made to Lusa, an assessment was made of the municipal result – positive, as on the election night -, but there was no debate on a possible re-candidacy of Rui Rio for the presidency of the party.
At dawn on Monday, Rio considers that the party had “an excellent result”, which puts it in “better conditions to win as verified” in the 2023 legislative period, but did not want to confirm whether it will be re-candidate for the PSD leadership, to not to mix themes from the internal life with the autarchic ones.
The PS won the local councils on Sunday with 149 councils (148 alone and one in a coalition) and the PSD conquered 114 councils (72 alone and 42 in a coalition), improving the results of the municipal councils of 2013 and 2017, and with the victory of the social – Democrats in Lisbon, Coimbra, Portalegre or Funchal.
Today, in an article in the Público newspaper, MEP Paulo Rangel also defended that “it is not yet time” for clarification or internal debate in the PSD, but to carry out “a fine and detailed analysis” of the municipal results
“In due course, the PSD’s normal electoral cycle will come and, then yes, each militant will be called upon to assume their responsibilities”, he said, without clarifying what their role in this cycle will be.
Until now, other potential leaders, such as Luís Montenegro or Jorge Moreira da Silva, remain silent about the municipal advantages.
In an interview with TVI on Monday, former PSD leader Carlos Carreiras said he believed Rio could leave the PSD leadership, revealed that his ‘vice’ in Cascais, Miguel Pinto Luz, will not advance in the party’s internal race and confirmed that there are “bridges” between this and Paulo Rangel.
If a calendar similar to 2018 and 2020 is maintained, direct entries must be held in January and the congress about a month later, with space for a second round if there are more than two candidates.
On Sunday and compared to 2017, the PSD won 32 new municipalities, but also lost 16, with a positive balance of 16 over four years and will lead nine of the 18 district capitals (against five of the PS) and the two capitals of the Autonomous Regions.
In 2017, the PSD had its worst result ever, which led to the resignation of the previous leader, Pedro Passos Coelho: the Social Democrats won 98 presidencies (79 alone and 19 in coalition), losing eight chambers compared to 2013, when totaled 106 councils.
In addition to more chambers and more elected officials than in the last two municipal councils, the Social Democrats also pointed out as a goal to shorten the distance to the PS, which went from 63 to 35 with Sunday’s results.