Former PSD Prime Minister and former President of the Republic Cavaco Silva closes the National Meeting of Social Democratic Mayors (ASD) scheduled for May 20 in Lisbon it will also feature interventions from the independents Rui Moreira and Isaltino Morais.
The opening of the 3rd meeting of the ASD, with the theme “Autarquias that future”, will be led by the President of the PSD, Luís Montenegro, and by Hélder Sousa Silva, President of this autonomous structure of the PSD.
In a conversation with Lusa, the also mayor of Mafra explained that the ASD has held an annual meeting under his leadership, which in 2023 will have two major themes: on the one hand territorial cohesion and decentralization and on the other hand housing.
Regarding the importance of Cavaco Silva’s presence, Hélder Sousa Silva explained that the invitation was made a few months ago, with the former PSD leader emphasizing that “I had no political relationship with the ASD for about 30 years”, but that he was there, which he eventually confirmed.
“I am sure that no one stands out better than Professor Cavaco Silva for warnings about the situation in Portugal and the challenges that municipalities and the country face in a global context,” he said.
The president of the ASD even expects “a closure with a golden key”, given “the most recent interventions” of the former president of the Republic in national affairs.
In March, at a conference organized by the Lisbon City Council on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Special Relocation Program (PER), Cavaco Silva gave a highly critical speech on housing, considering that the crisis in this sector is “the result of failure of government policies”, expressing “many doubts” about the success of the executive’s package.
“He is a man who has a vision of Portugal and the world where municipalities are the main actors in the development of the country. I hope he will also bring us that vision of local power,” expects Hélder Sousa Silva, who hopes more than a thousand mayors in the Lisbon assembly.
The first thematic session will be dedicated to “Territorial cohesion, decentralization and local financial law”, moderated by former mayor and former leader of the PSD Manuel Castro Almeida, with the participation of Ricardo Rio, President of the City Council of Braga, and the leader of social Democratic MP, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, among other Social Democratic mayors.
“These are issues that directly affect mayors (…) Decentralization has been carried out in fits and starts, hesitantly, and many of the areas delegated have not taken place or are not accompanied by the respective financial package,” justified Hélder Sousa Silva, stating that example the field of education.
The second session will focus on “Housing – The role of local authorities and the PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan), with the Mayor of Lisbon and former European Commissioner, Carlos Moedas, the Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, in a video are included testimony, Isaltino Morais, former PSD minister and current independent mayor of Oeiras, Fermelinda Carvalho, mayor of Portalegre (PSD), and PSD vice president, António Leitão Amaro, former secretary of state for local government, who presented the proposals of the Social Democrats in the field of housing.
The president of the ASD justified the invitations to Carlos Moedas, because of the centrality of the housing theme in Lisbon, and to the mayors of Oeiras and Porto because of their experience in this field, but also because of their closeness to “the idea of social- democracy”. “.
“It is a feature of national meetings of the ASD to invite entities that do not act directly in the social democratic field, but are close to the social democracy. They are personalities of recognized merit and knowledge of the issue under discussion, two leading mayors with a similar PSD,” he justified, questioned by Lusa about the political significance of the participation of Isaltino Morais and Rui Moreira.
Source: DN
