Rui Moreira’s Candidacy For The Europeans With…

The possible candidacy of the current Mayor of the City Council as head of the list for the next European elections on June 9th is gaining traction with the social democratic apparatus, although details remain to be worked out. As of today, Luís Montenegro and Rui Moreira have not yet closed the agreement, but the comfort of part of the party could precipitate everything – Montenegro will present his team on Monday, April 22, at the PSD National Council.

Montenegro never hid its esteem that he has for Rui Moreira (which is mutual) and the theoretical desire, at least, to have him as head of the list in elections that have gained enormous political importance – it will be the first barometer the Government’s popularity. Furthermore, in October 2023, the social democratic leader referred to the mayor as someone who, “in abstract”, met all the conditions to be the PSD candidate for the European elections – however, the Social Democrats and Christian Democrats signed an agreement for the legislative and European elections, but it will not be the CDS, which supports Moreira’s executive in the City Council of Porto, lifting barriers.

In fact, the CDS will have a Congress this weekend where it is not excluded that they will be advanced some news in this regard. Furthermore, in a very rare moment, Moreira agreed to participate in a party action and joined the Democratic Alliance’s electoral campaign, at a lunch-rally in Trofa, where, in addition to posing alongside Luís Montenegro and Nuno Melo, he declared his support for the now prime minister. “Independence is not neutrality. I made my choice. Don’t forbid us to dream. Don’t try to scare us. We are not afraid and the country will not vote out of fear. I will vote AD and I hope you vote AD”, asked the mayor of Porto.

Rui Moreira’s position also will have evolved over time. In many moments, interviews and statements, the mayor showed some reservations in relation to a possible candidacy for Brussels. On the one hand, Moreira never hid his desire to dedicate himself to his personal life and the various things he stopped doing (“After the Chamber, I will dedicate myself to my interests, which are many and varied. Writing, taking photographs, being with my grandchildren, traveling…”, came to say to the Observer, still in 2017). At the same time, the weekly back and forth between Porto and the European Parliament and the fact that the position of MEP does not have the executive profile that brought him closer to politics also made him often turn up his nose at the idea.

On the other hand, the truth is that the European challenge would prolong Rui Moreira’s political career eg