Montenegro told the European People’s Party that it foresees “political changes in Portugal”

PSD President Luis Montenegro said at the European People’s Party (PPE) convention this Thursday that he foresees “political change in Portugal” in Sunday’s elections, and also emphasized support for Ursula von der Leyen’s Democratic Alliance (AD).

“There are only a few days left until political change in Portugal. I’ve been traveling around the country listening and talking to people since I was elected a year and a half ago. [mas] In particular, in the last few weeks, the wave of support has been enormous and growing every day, we can feel the wind of change,” said Luis Montenegro, speaking in a video message in English to the PPE Congress, which this Thursday Fair ended in the Romanian capital Bucharest.

Speaking on the occasion as leader of the opposition, Luís Montenegro highlighted the “ambitious project” that AD is planning for Portugal.

“On March 10, Portugal has two possible paths: the socialist option, which means huge problems in health, education, housing and justice, and our option, which is the path of hope and growth,” he said. The leader of the Social Democrats also stated that “the socialist variants go hand in hand with the far left, anti-European and anti-NATO radical parties”, while AD consists of “the most European Portuguese parties”.

This Thursday’s EPP congress is expected to elect European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to head the center-right party’s list for June’s European elections, marking the climax of the event. Speaking about Ursula von der Leyen, Luis Montenegro emphasized that she “was a candidate from the very beginning” of the PSD and SDS.

“Thank you for everything you do and will do for Europe and Europeans. We are proud of your work and believe in the future that you will give to our continent in the next five years,” said the leader of the Social Democrats.

Luis Montenegro also thanked the PPE and its president, Manfred Weber, as well as the leader of the European Assembly, Roberta Metsola, for their “active support”. At the PPE’s main meeting, which began on Wednesday in the Romanian capital and ends today, Ursula von der Leyen’s name is expected to be confirmed by the centre-right European panel, two weeks after her candidacy for “Spitzenkandidat” (party head) was announced. list), intending to run again for the post of head of the European Commission for another five years.

This will be the culmination of an event for which 2,000 participants from 44 countries have registered. Ahead of the event, a senior PPE official told Lusa and other European media that the centre-right political group currently has “12 prime ministers”, hoping that “perhaps after next Sunday the number will rise to 13”, hinting at the Portuguese elections .

Ursula von der Leyen was not the EPP’s “Spitzenkandidat” in 2019, but this time she ran and was supported by her German party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), later counting on the support of her Polish and Greek colleagues.

PPE is a center-right pro-European political group that unites more than 83 national parties from 44 countries.