“It’s a surprise. I wasn’t anticipating this situation, which I regret”, says to DN Nuno Araújo, leader of the Porto district federation of the socialist party, after the attribution, by Pedro Duarte, of the Culture department to Jorge Sobrado — elected by the PS, but who will now exercise functions as an independent. Not by chance, Nuno Araújo emphasizes that “of the first four on the list that the party presented to the Porto council, only Manuel Pizarro is a socialist activist”.
The decision also deserved the disapproval of Pizarro himself, head of the list in the municipal councils on October 12, who understands that the resulting political agreement distorts the mandate given by voters.
“The signal that the people of Porto gave with their vote was to choose who governed the Chamber and who should oppose it. The position that Jorge Sobrado took misinterprets this signal”, he declared to Lusa.
The former candidate also highlighted that the newly elected mayor of Porto “defined that he did not want to establish any agreement with any other party”, which is why the integration of a PS elected member into the executive raises reservations: “I accept this decision, but I consider that it does not correspond to the vote of the people of Porto.”
Even before taking office Pedro Duarte was already confronted with signs of political turmoil. In Ramalde, one of the largest parishes in the city, the PS managed to form an unexpected majority, joining the votes of Chega, Livre and the independent Fazer à Porto movement, led by Filipe Araújo, to socialist votes.
To guarantee a majority in the city council executive, Pedro Duarte was forced to give up one of the portfolios he considered strategic. During the campaign, he promised to keep Culture under his tutelage, as his predecessor, Rui Moreira, had done, but ended up backing down.
After informal contacts with Fernando Paulo and Francisca Carneiro Fernandes, the invitation went to Jorge Sobrado, fourth on the socialist list.
Jorge Sobrado, recognized for his CV in the cultural area, states that he accepted the invitation “because of the importance of the portfolio and not to form a majority”.
“This invitation was not just a personal invitation, it was a political invitation in that I could bring with me my ideas, my proposals, and the program that I also put up for debate in the election campaign.”