Estela Silva / Lusa
The President of Lisbon City Council, Carlos Moedas
Independent councilor Ana Simões Silva, former Chega, will move full-time. There will now be 9 elected out of a total of 17.
The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas (PSD), will govern with absolute majority by delegating powers to independent councilor Ana Simões Silva, former Chegawhich will become a full time, announced the municipality today.
In a note, the municipality indicated that the social democrat called an extraordinary meeting of the executive for Friday to “fix the number of full-time councilors at eight”, assigning Ana Simões Silva (who left Chega in January) the responsibilities of Health and the Food Waste and competencies “within the working group responsible for applications for European projects”.
“With this change, which results in the formation of a absolute majority with nine elected (in a total of 17)the conditions for stable and cohesive governance of the municipality will be reinforced, allowing the executive led by Carlos Moedas to implement the program approved by Lisbon residents for the four-year period 2025-2029”, it is mentioned.
Almost a month ago, Ana Simões Silva left Chega and assumed the mandate in the municipal executive as an independent, justifying the decision with “political incompatibilities insurmountable.”
“This decision is linked to insurmountable political incompatibilities within the Chega party councilor’s office. I cannot remain as a merely decorative councilor, without any type of means that allow me to exercise a competent mandate for the benefit of the city of Lisbon”, stated Ana Simões Silva.
In these local councils in October, the Chega party managed to elect the executive of the Lisbon Chamber for the first time, with the election of two councilors: Bruno Mascarenhas and Ana Simões Silva.
It was precisely the election of Ana Simões Silva that gave rise to the “soap opera” of the recount in Lisbon: Chega would have been ahead of the CDU (and thus entitled to two councilors) by just ; but it was found that in São Domingos de Benfica; then the Constitutional Court ordered it to be carried out in a section of the parish of São Domingos de Benfica.
In the end, Chega remained ahead – but now it remains like the CDU, with just one councilor.
