Montenegro announces its re-candidacy for the post of leader of the SDP after the elections to the European Parliament

The PSD president announced this Monday that he will re-apply for the leadership of the party next year, regardless of the result of the European elections in June 2024, given that there is “enough time to rise in the polls”.

In an interview with TVI/CNN, Luis Montenegro reiterated that he intends to win the European elections, but stressed that he was running for party leadership to “win the country”, citing several examples of party leaders who lost the European elections and then won legislative elections . .

“I am going to run again in the next SDP elections after the European ones, I will run again because I have a very positive assessment of what we are doing. I am calm, I think we Many of those who sat in this chair before me had the same problem, some reached the government, others did not,” he said.

Asked if he had already chosen the head of the SDP list for the Europeans, Montenegro admitted that he already had the name in mind but did not reveal it, sending the announcement to early next year.

European elections are scheduled for June 9, 2024, Luis Montenegro’s term ends in July, and domestic elections are likely to take place after next summer.

In the interview, the PSD president confronted the results of recent opinion polls, which put the party in a technical draw with the PS (behind the Socialists), and said that he feels neither euphoria when they are good nor depression when they are good. less well, given that the main message of these studies is the “huge wear and tear on government” and the “disappointment of those who voted for PS” in January 2020.

“It is as normal to be disappointed by the lack of results as it is normal for the Portuguese to still have doubts about a political alternative,” he said, pointing out that he has been president of the PSD for just over a year.

Montenegro rejected the conclusion that it was unable to establish itself as opposition leader, countering that “it takes time, consistency and solidity” to win back SDP voters.

Back in the European elections, he promised to “present good ideas and good candidates”, but believed that the assessment of his mandate should be based on more than just that vote, and should include “presenting political alternatives” and mobilizing the party. .

“All this gives the SDP a chance to assert itself as a political alternative that generates a parliamentary majority,” he said.

Luis Montenegro recalled that in 2009 the PSD won the European elections and then lost the legislative ones and, conversely, in 2014 they lost the first and won the second a year later.

“It is not necessary that a less good result here corresponds to a less good result there. I want and we will defeat the Europeans, but I am aimed at winning in the legislative sphere. I did not come to the post of SDP president to win. Europeans – that was also there – but first of all it was necessary to conquer the country,” he insisted.

Asked whether he was confused by the agreement signed between PSD-Madeira and PAN in this archipelago, the PSD leader once again replied that a 43% victory or a signed agreement, which he said he “knew” about, could put into an awkward position for the Social Democrats.