The leader of the PSD told the deputies that he would not be included in the European list

The PSD leader told Social Democratic MPs on Thursday that he would not be on the party’s European list, adding to reporters that he intends to fulfill his mandate, which expires next July.

At a parliamentary group meeting held behind closed doors, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said he felt the need to “enlighten deputies” on the news that had been released in recent weeks and reassure them that he did not intend to leave the Assembly of the Republic to the European Parliament.

At the end of the meeting, interviewed by journalists, the leader of the parliament repeated this information: “I’m not leaving for the European Parliament.”

When asked if this means he intends to fulfill his mandate as chairman of the Social Democratic bench – he was elected for two years on July 13 last year – former economic adviser Cavaco Silva answered in the affirmative.

“If nothing extraordinary happens, I intend to fulfill my mandate,” he said.

At the meeting, Miranda Sarmento was not questioned by any MP either about the news that announced in advance a possible departure from office, and even about the names of possible successors, such as the “deputies” Paulo Rios de Oliveira and Joao Moura, nor about others in which the leadership denies any intention to change the parliamentary leadership.

After the last speech of the leader of the parliament, which caused the applause of some MPs, the meeting ended immediately, and there were no more registrations for interference.

Joaquim Miranda Sarmento was elected leader of the SDP parliament last July, replacing Paulo Mota Pinta, who only held office for three months but called early elections after Luis Montenegro replaced Rui Rio as SDP president and told him he wanted to change board chairmanship.

In the election, Miranda Sarmento won about 60% of the vote from a group inherited from Rui Río’s leadership, with some tension expressed, for example, in controversial ballot statements in a vote of no confidence in the IL government or in recent proposals. Chega and I.L. create a commission to investigate the disclosure of “secrets” in the restoration of the computer of the former deputy for infrastructure.

However, it was the decision of the PSD parliamentary leader to move Operation Tuttifrutti into a common policy debate with the prime minister – about a proposed exchange of favors with the PS in the 2017 municipal elections – that created a “gap” more visible on the bench when deputy Carlos Eduardo Reis (one of the names mentioned in TVI/CNN television reports) criticizes this option in the bench, later supported by several MPs.

The bench leadership has already lost two vice presidents since its election – Ricardo Baptista Leite and Joaquim Pinto Moreira – and is about to lose a third when Luis Gomes is suspended.

Baptista Leite and Luis Gomes left for professional reasons, while Pinto Moreira resigned following an investigation by the “Operação Vortex”.

The way MP Pinto Moreira renewed his mandate – two months after it was suspended and in a response that the council said was not agreed upon – was another source of discomfort on the bench as the MP took committee seats even after this political trust was stripped of it by the SDP president.