Montenegro with pensioners without fear of cuts and a coat like the prime minister | Legislative 2024

One of the members of the Democratic Alliance (AD) caravan raises his arm to signal Luís Montenegro, who was a few meters behind on the same sidewalk, that he needed to stop there. Beside him is a retired couple, smiling: “Go ahead, we’re going to win!” This is what the AD leader most wants to hear these days, especially from older people, an electorate that the coalition hoped to win back in these legislative elections.

Albina Santos guarantees that she is not afraid of a possible pension cut if Montenegro becomes prime minister. “What we need is a future for our grandchildren. The cuts are over”, he tells PÚBLICO, after greeting the AD leader in a street action in Leiria. For her husband, José António, the coalition’s victory is at hand: “They didn’t even need to campaign, the way the Government [PS] left this…”

Montenegro no longer heard the conversation, but throughout the day it seemed to want to curb the euphoria in the coalition. “We haven’t won the elections yet, but we know we will win them on March 10th”, he said at the end of the route – on the same street where Pedro Nuno Santos passed this Wednesday.

The same message had already been left in the morning during a visit to a textile factory in Ansião (Leiria), after being asked about the Cesop/Universidade Católica survey for PÚBLICO and RTP. “If anyone thinks we are going to enter into an excessive wave of euphoria, they don’t know me…”, he assured. At that moment, the AD leader was trying on a dark blue coat manufactured by the small company.

“Now I want to see it too. Isn’t there a mirror there?”, she asked, with good humor. It seemed like the right campaign action, one day after being attacked with green paint and having his “coat, shirt and even his shoes” stained. The timing also seemed right for the question about whether it will actually change on March 10. “I’m sure. This is exclusive for the Prime Minister”, he replied good-naturedly, while a seamstress placed pins in the fabric to adjust the height.

During the visit, Montenegro heard the administrator of Avelmod, Manuel Arnaut, admitting difficulties in the company since October last year, due to the “consumption crisis”. He asked the manager questions and showed that he was aware of the companies’ general problems, but he only greeted the employees who were working in the two spaces he visited from afar. There, he did not follow the “vote by vote” motto.