Cavaco Silva returns to participate in the PSD municipal assembly almost 30 years later

Former SDP Prime Minister and former President of the Republic Cavaco Silva will close the National Meeting of Social Democratic Mayors (ASD) scheduled for May 20 in Lisbon, which will also feature independents Rui Moreira and Isaltino Morais.

The opening of the 3rd meeting of the ASD on the theme “Autarkias in the future” will be entrusted to PSD President Luis Montenegro and Hélder Souza Silva, President of this autonomous PSD structure.

In an interview with Lusa, the Mayor of Mafra also explained that, under his leadership, the ASD held its annual meeting, which in 2023 will focus on two main themes: territorial cohesion and decentralization on the one hand, and housing on the other.

Regarding the significance of Cavaco Silva’s presence, Hélder Souza Silva explained that the invitation was made months ago and the former PSD leader stressed that “I have not had a political relationship with the PSD for about 30 years” but that he would consider his presence, which he eventually confirmed.

“I am sure that no one has stood out better than Professor Cavaco Silva with his warnings about the situation in Portugal and the problems that municipalities and the country are facing in a global context,” he said.

The President of the ASD even expects a “golden key” in view of 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 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Special Resettlement Program (PER), Cavaco Silva delivered a highly critical speech on housing, believing that the crisis in the sector “is the result of the failure of government policy”, expressing doubts” in the success of the executive package.

“He is a man who has a vision for Portugal and a world where the municipalities are the main actors in the development of the country. I hope he will also bring us this vision of local power,” anticipated Hélder Sousa Silva, who hopes to win more than a thousand mayors at the meeting in Lisbon.

The first thematic session will focus on the “Law of Territorial Cohesion, Decentralization and Local Finance”, moderated by the former mayor and former leader of the PSD Manuel Castro Almeida, with the participation of Ricardo Río, president of the city council of Braga, and the leader of the social-democratic parliamentarian Joaquim Miranda Sarmento among others social democratic mayors.

“These are issues that directly affect mayors (…) Decentralization was carried out in fits and starts, indecisively, and many of the delegated areas were not implemented or were not accompanied by an appropriate financial package,” explained Hélder Sousa Silva. , citing the field of education as an example.

The second session will be dedicated to the topic “Housing – the role of local authorities and PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan), which will be attended by the Mayor of Lisbon and former European Commissioner Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Porto Rui Moreira in the video. testimonies, Isaltino Morais, former PSD minister and current independent mayor of Oeiras, Fermelinda Carvalho, Mayor of Portalegre (PSD), and PSD Vice President António Leitao Amaru, former Secretary of State for Local Government, who coordinated the Social Democrats housing proposals.

The ASD President justified the invitation of Carlos Moedas by the central position of the topic of housing in Lisbon, and the mayors of Oeiras and Porto by their experience in this area, as well as their proximity to the “idea of ​​social democracy”. “.

“A distinctive feature of the national assemblies of the ASD is the invitation of subjects who do not act directly in the social democratic sphere, but are close to social democracy. These are individuals with recognized merits and knowledge in the issue under discussion, two leading mayors with a similar mindset of PSD,” he justified Lusa’s question about the political significance of the participation of Isaltino Morais and Rui Moreira.