The PSD chairman announced on Monday that he will run again for the party’s leadership next year, regardless of the outcome of the European elections in June 2024, as there is “plenty of time to rise in the polls”.
In an interview with TVI/CNN, Luís Montenegro reiterated that he intends to win the European elections, but emphasized that he was running for party leadership to “win the country”, giving several examples of party leaders who won the European elections lost and then won the parliamentary elections. .
“I am going to stand again in the next elections within the PSD, after the European one. I am going to stand again because I have a very positive assessment of what we have done. I am calm, I think we still have a lot time to grow in the polls. Many of those who sat in this seat before me had the same problem, some made it to government, some didn’t.”he said.
When asked if he had already chosen the head of the PSD list for the Europeans, Montenegro admitted that he already had that name in mind, but did not reveal it and postponed this announcement to early next year.
The European elections are scheduled for June 9, 2024 and Luís Montenegro’s term will end in July, while internal elections are likely to take place after the summer of next year.
Asked whether he ever plans to form an alliance with Chega, if the need arises, the PSD leader ruled out that hypothesis.. However, Luís Montenegro assumed that he could join the Liberal Initiative if necessary. Given the possibility of running for coalition elections, Montenegro did not rule out the hypothesis but did not provide any scenarios.
Confronted with results from recent opinion polls that put the party in a technical draw with the PS (behind the Socialists), the PSD chairman said he is neither euphoric when they are good nor depressed when they are less good, as that the main message of these investigations is “the enormous wear and tear on the government” and the “disappointment of those who voted for the PS” in January 2020.
“It is as normal to be disappointed by the lack of results as it is normal for the Portuguese to still have doubts about the political alternative,” he reflected, emphasizing that he has been president of the PSD for just over a year.
Montenegro rejected the conclusion that it is unable to assert itself as leader of the opposition, countering that “it takes time, consistency and solidity” to win back PSD voters.
Still at the European elections, he promised to “present good ideas and good candidates”, but believed that the evaluation of his mandate must be based on more than this vote and also “the presentation of political alternatives” and the mobilization of the party must include. .
“All this gives the PSD an opportunity to assert itself as a political alternative that generates a parliamentary majority,” he said.
Luís Montenegro recalled that in 2009 the PSD won the European elections and then lost the legislative elections, and on the contrary, in 2014 they lost the first and won the second a year later.
“It is not necessary that a less good result here corresponds to a less good result there. I want and we will win the Europeans, but I am focused on winning the legislative one. I became president of the PSD, it was not to win the Europeans – that’s what it was – but it was mainly to win the country,” he emphasized.
Asked whether he was ashamed of the agreement signed between the PSD-Madeira and the PAN in that archipelago, the PSD leader again refused that a 43% victory or the signed agreement – which he said was “on the height” – to embarrass the Social Democrats.
Source: DN
