The urgency of the works, particularly those for World Youth Day, which will take place in Lisbon and Loures in a year's time, has led Lisbon City Council to justify a new vote in the Municipal Assembly.
After last week's plenary session of the Lisbon Municipal Assembly (AML), the PSD abstained on the SRU proposalsThe same proposals returned to the AML, this time as a matter of urgency. "This is a very important piece of work. It's essential that it's followed up as soon as possible, especially before the summer"explained CML Vice-President Filipe Anacoreta Correia to justify the urgency.
The proposals in question include a revision to the Activity and Budget Plan (PAO) of the SRU, Lisbon's municipal public works company, and various documents that budget and operationalize this plan. With last week's rejection, the PAO that had been approved at the beginning of 2022 remained in force, which in practice meant the suspension of several investments in the city. This was because there were works that had been planned at the beginning of the year but which, for certain reasons, such as rising construction prices, could not be carried out; the revised PAO was intended to give priority to feasible investments, releasing funds from the unfeasible works, which, in turn, would be left for another time.
The SRU documents had been rejected by the AML, where they needed to be approved before they could be implemented. The PSD abstained, alongside the PS, and the BE, PCP and Livre voted against. From the list New TimesOnly the CDS voted in favor. A week later, and with the proposals mostly unchanged, the AML passed them by a majority, achieved with a change in the PSD's vote, which instead of abstaining voted in favor.
In order for the documents to return to the AML, Lisbon City Council had to make an urgent request so that the municipal deputies would first accept their inclusion on the agenda and then vote on them. Anacoreta Correia emphasized the urgency of the works to be carried out by the SRU, in particular that of the World Youth DayThis will bring Pope Francis and thousands of people to Lisbon and Loures in a year's time (August 1-6, 2023) and there is still a lot to be done in the area around the mouth of the River Trancão. "This [work] is all the more important because a slip of a month or two has an impact not just on the presentation of the works but on the event itself"explained Anacoreta Correia.
On the left, several municipal deputies expressed concern about the last-minute inclusion of a proposal that had already been discussed and voted on in the AML only a week ago and that had gone to three Standing Committees, without there having been time to issue opinions (the 1st Committee, which deals with finance issues, decided to maintain the previous opinion because the documents were practically identical). The MPs also tried to understand the PSD's change of position.
Without the presence of the leader of the Social Democrat municipal bench, Luís Newton, it was up to Carlos Reis to take the fall. "There is no problem between the PSD and Mayor Carlos Moedas"he said, adding "the PSD subordinates history, the past, to the fulfillment of the New Times program and this mandate". "The PSD's internal issues are not Lisbon's issues, we don't confuse ourselves with the state, the city or the community. We are a vehicle for transforming society, unlike others who confuse us"he said.
According to ObservadorAccording to the Observador, the lead given by the PSD in the Lisbon Municipal Assembly has caused unease among the Social Democrats, with some voices in the party calling for Luís Newton's resignation from the leadership of the PSD bench in the AML. According to Observador, the rule in the Lisbon PSD is to almost automatically approve everything that comes from the Moedas executive. For each Municipal Assembly there is a preparatory meeting in the various benches and, to Observador, PSD sources assured that "the council's proposals are not even discussed" - are to approve and that's that. "No PSD MP will ever question the chamber in a vote again"He stands between the orange benches.
