Rui Moreira warns that mayors ‘are not anyone’s foreman’

The President of the City Council of Porto, Rui Moreira, said this Saturday in Guarda that mayors are not anyone’s foreman.

“They [Governo] They want us to be foremen. Mayors are not anyone’s foreman. We are elected by the people, we are obliged to do what the state does not do, and always demand what is not given to us,” he said at the opening of the convention of the National Association of Independent Local Movements. He is also president of the General Assembly.

The mayor spoke about the decentralization process, during which, in his opinion, municipalities were left with “the most difficult part.”

Rui Moreira gave the example of education: “We started with Ajax having to clean the windows, we had to replace the tiles, repair the doors and be responsible for catering and school transport.”

“With decentralization imposed on us, we will have fewer resources to solve population problems that will require answers for which we do not have the capacity,” he stressed.

Rui Moreira defended the “fair distribution of resources and skills” and the “urgent need to demand from municipalities the skills that citizens believe belong to local authorities.”

The mayor of Porto stressed that it is extremely important to “reconsider” the funding of local authorities.

“At the moment, we have the right for the state to share with us what it receives from taxes,” he emphasized.

“They say there is a budget deficit, but they never talk about it. There is great silence. It is for these and other reasons that we have decided that the city of Porto should not be part of an association of municipalities that silences this debate.” , he reminded.

Rui Moreira also said that mayors “shouldn’t obey” every time something is given to them.

“As much as we have and should not respect political parties and government, the truth is that the population understands that we cannot be tamed. This is the reason why people should vote for independent candidates. We are not tameable,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.

“No one can tell us that either you remain silent or you will not be a candidate next time. Nobody can tell you. This gives us enormous freedom to demand, complain and say what we want on behalf of our population,” he said.

In a recorded address to congressmen, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, thanked “the role of mayors.”

“All mayors should earn this gratitude. For your contribution, for your enthusiasm, for your donations, for your commitment, for your service to society, I thank you as a citizen and as the President of the Republic,” he emphasized.