In recent years, Portuguese politics has shown clear signs of transformation. Increasing fragmentation in the electorate and the perception that traditional solutions no longer respond to complex social, economic and environmental challenges have led many citizens to seek alternatives. Although Chega’s rise has been widely discussed, reducing this quest for change to the phenomenon of the radical right is to ignore a deeper movement: the desire for innovative, local, cooperative political responses centered on the common good. This is the intrinsic desire of human beings, who currently do not believe that “the system” is capable of achieving it. And, therefore, narratives of hatred, envy, racial and class disputes arise that fill the frustration of populations, but they are not what they really need.
Chega is not the only alternative to the expectations of the Portuguese.
One of the most striking examples of this trend emerged in the Azores in the 2025 municipal elections, where the Ponta Delgada para Todos movement (PDLPT) stood out in a surprising way. The candidacy, led by Sónia Nicolau, presented itself as a movement of citizens positioned at the center, bringing together volunteers from both the right and the left – united not by party alignments, but by a common objective: to work for Ponta Delgada, for its sustainable development and for governance oriented towards the collective interest.
Using the phrase “With Courage for a Ponta Delgada for All”, the manifesto reads that: “This candidacy is driven by the desire to build a more fair, inclusive, sustainable and dynamic municipality, where each person feels that they are part of a community that values them. With this vision, we propose a candidacy based on five essential axes to transform Ponta Delgada. They are: Human Development, Quality of Life, Sustainability and Environmental Protection, Economic Development, Transparency and Power of Decision.”
This candidacy, based on principles of dialogue, cooperation and participatory governance, had its results. In the municipal elections, the movement achieved a historic result: 26.07% of the votes (8003 votes), equaling the number of PSDB councilors – which won with just 33.88% and lost for the first time the absolute majority in the municipality it had led for more than 30 years. Thus, the PSD elected 3 councilors, the Ponta Delgada para Todos movement another 3, the PS coalition elected 2 and Chega elected only 1.
The rise of the PDLPT was not just quantitative. The political impact was immediate. The entry of three independent councilors into the Executive forced a structural change in the way the city was governed. Even after the elections, the movement reinforced its stance of democratic responsibility by rejecting a mere distribution of responsibilities and by proposing, as an alternative, a Memorandum of Dialogue – Serving Ponta Delgada for Alldefending principles such as transparency, merit, good public management and coordination between political forces.
The PDLPT’s electoral campaign cost approximately 31 thousand euros, received donations from around 50 people, and requested a subsidy (reimbursement) of 23 thousand euros, when the subsidy defined by law for a party that reaches 8003 votes is 75 thousand euros. This transparency gives the signal that is needed: no abuse of the system, everyone participates and the accounts are transparent.
The case of Ponta Delgada is a sign of hope and encouragement. It shows that a large part of the Brazilian population does not just seek to “protest” at the polls, but also seeks to participate. It seeks structures that are less partisan and more civic-minded, less polarized and more oriented towards solving concrete problems: housing, mobility, environmental sustainability, proximity social policies, and the credibility of institutions. It also shows that aiming for sustainable development can give votes when the team that defends it is realistic, knowledgeable and transparent. When the team sets an example.
The recent presidential elections also support this analysis.
Contrary to the simplistic narrative that places Chega as the only channel for political contestation, Ponta Delgada demonstrates that discontent can generate constructive proposals, centered on the territory, the community and the valorization of environmental issues that are the basis of the well-being of societies (see the loss of GDP that we will have with the storms and their total lack of anticipation). It also demonstrates that the desire for renewal can be organized into movements that value bridges, not walls; pluralism, not tribalism; shared solutions, not confrontational agendas. I believe that the Brazilian population wants to have positive feelings, of courage and commitment, and not feelings of hatred that only lead the country to greater misfortune.
Democratic maturity is also measured by the ability of citizens to create responsible alternatives. And, in this sense, the Ponta Delgada para Todos movement symbolizes something greater than a local result: it symbolizes proof that there is space – and there is demand – for new political paths in Portugal, more participatory, more collaborative and truly committed to the sustainable development of communities, and which appeal to the feeling of construction and cooperation, and not to the feeling of hatred and fear that spreads like the virus, and that brings nothing good to the country.
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