The Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) honored, on Thursday, April 18th, more than a hundred mayors and former mayors of the region, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April. This ceremony took place at the Cineteatro D. João V, in Amadora, and distinguished mayors from the 18 municipalities of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
The Cineteatro D. João V, in Amadora, received, last Thursday, April 18, a tribute from the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML) to more than a hundred mayors and former mayors of the 18 municipalities in the region, elected since the first local elections, in December 1976, until the present term. In total, 105 presidents were honored, of which 33 posthumously. This ceremony also featured several cultural moments, promoted by Teresa Salgueiro (ex-Madredeus), Almada Street Band and Pedro Freitas, the Poet of the City. The opening of the session featured the broadcast of a short film that showed developments in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area since the first local elections.
In this film, the importance of local power was highlighted and how it helped transform municipalities, which, many of them, did not have sanitation networks, public transport, health units, and were still territories formed by many neighborhoods of tents. The Lisbon Metropolitan Area was created in 1991 and is made up of 18 municipalities, on the North and South banks of the Tagus, namely, Alcochete, Almada, Amadora, Barreiro, Cascais, Lisbon, Loures, Mafra, Moita, Montijo, Odivelas, Oeiras, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal, Sintra and Vila Franca de Xira. It is currently chaired by Carla Tavares, president of the Amadora City Council, who began her speech by saying that all of these honorees “in the 18 municipalities and over the last 50 years, gave their best, with passion, with emotion, with total delivery to their municipalities”.
Recognize the work of mayors over the last 50 years
Carla Tavares also recalled the long work that local authorities have done over the last few years, in order to improve their territories, “in partnership with the community and living forces”. However, she recalled, a notable step in the life of AML “was the process in the area of Mobility, which also involved a process of decentralization of skills”, and which led to the creation of Carris Metropolitana and the Navegante pass, which united the region . “This tribute is part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of April 25th and aims to recognize and remember the important role of local authorities in consolidating local power and all the women and men who, regardless of the political parties for which they were elected, were and they are the face of democratic local power”, continued the president of AML.
“Being a mayor is, without a doubt, the most noble and stimulating mission that can be carried out in politics, thanks to the affection and proximity to people and the real capacity and impact on their lives. Mayors are true agents of transformation in their community. They are those who know the territory, they are the ears of the laments and the voice of its citizens”, continued Carla Tavares, also remembering that mayors are also those “who can respond quickly to the needs and desires” of the populations. With the Revolution of the 25th of April, she also considered, Local Power gained new importance and municipalities gained more responsibilities. “Their elected representatives were once again subject to universal suffrage, State supervision was considerably reduced and the financial resources allocated to the autonomous decision-making of the municipalities were reinforced”, she added.
Union between local authorities is fundamental
Carla Tavares also highlighted the role of local authorities as bridges between the population and the Central Government, ensuring “the existence and proper functioning of basic and essential services”. “Today, more than ever, we need strong mayors committed to the development of society and the country, and who defend the interests of communities, with a view to an increasingly fair, just and egalitarian society”, he further appealed. However, the president of AML also highlighted that the “future of local authorities is a challenge, but also an opportunity, to build a better future for our communities and our country”. Here, the mayor recalled the union of the 18 AML municipalities, which allowed “a revolution in the area of Mobility”.
Giving as an example the municipality she leads, Carla Tavares said that “Amadora would never have been able to take this path in the area of mobility alone, due to its characteristics and size”. Therefore, this demonstrates the importance of the Metropolitan Area, which allows “cohesion and sharing between municipalities and communities”. “CCDR has played a very important role in an area where funds are increasingly needed, but also where they are increasingly less. Coordination between all municipalities and the CCDR has been absolutely essential for us to be able to execute and comply with the application of funds [dos fundos comunitários] which are allocated to the 18 municipalities”, added the president of AML. Currently, in the area of Housing, and in the context of the PRR, 557 applications were submitted by the 18 municipalities, totaling 879 million euros.
First local elections were in December 1976
“We are all very committed to achieving Portugal 2030”, added Carla Tavares. “We have built a path that we don’t want to stop here. There are other common challenges that we face and which we will not resign ourselves to. I am convinced that we are prepared to face them and find solutions that meet the needs of our territories”, she concluded. The first local elections took place on December 12, 1976, through direct and universal suffrage. In these elections, 304 mayors, 5135 municipal deputies and around 26 thousand elected members of parish assemblies were elected.
One of those honored was the mayor of Loures, Ricardo Leão, who highlighted to Olhares de Lisboa that “Local Power was one of the greatest achievements of the 25th of April and was decisive in these 50 years. If today there are schools with the authority they have, it is largely due to the interference of the municipal councils, they allowed this leap forward. We talk about the importance of Local Government in supply and sanitation, in waste collection, in the construction of roads and roads, in bringing electricity and water to people’s homes. If there was a driver of development in this country, I say that, without a doubt, it was local power”. The mayor of Oeiras, Isaltino Morais, another of the recipients, highlighted that this was a “very beautiful initiative”.
Local Power was decisive for the evolution of municipalities, highlights Isaltino Morais
“I send this distinction to all the residents of Oeiras”, said Isaltino Morais, who has been president of this City Council for almost 40 years, being one of the oldest mayors in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. “Before the 25th of April, there was no democratic local power. The Mayors were sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There were elections for governors, but not for the President of the Chamber”. The revolution, in this way, allowed citizens to vote for representatives of their municipalities. “Local power now has autonomy in relation to central power, its own revenues, its own powers and, therefore, the transformations are extraordinary”, recognizes the mayor of Oeiras.
“Our municipality had brutal social wounds, thousands of families living in tents, and today we are talking about a municipality that is one of the richest in the country, and the second national economy, with a business volume rising to 34 billion euros”. “There has been visible progress, but our aspiration is to do better and create conditions for our people to live better. Today, for example, we are experiencing a housing crisis, because there is a very large difference between salaries and the prices for purchasing houses and renting them”, and therefore, “there is still a lot to be done, but it is indisputable that the balance of these 50 years is highly positive”, said Isaltino Morais, who admits he never thought he would “hold so many terms” at the head of the Oeiras Chamber.
