A new political response from the Azores

In recent years, Portuguese politics has shown clear signs of transformation. The growing fragmentation of 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 the growth of Chega has been widely discussed, reducing this demand for change to the phenomenon of the radical right ignores a deeper movement: the desire for innovative, local, cooperative, and common good-centered political responses. This is an intrinsic desire of human beings, who currently do not believe that “the system” is capable of achieving it. And so, narratives of hatred, envy, racial and class strife emerge, filling the frustration of the people, but not giving them what they truly need.

Chega is not the only alternative to the expectations of the Portuguese people.

One of the most striking examples of this trend emerged in the Azores in the 2025 local elections, where the Ponta Delgada para Todos (PDLPT) movement stood out in a surprising way. The candidacy, led by Sónia Nicolau, presented itself as a movement of centrist citizens, bringing together volunteers from both the right and the left—united not by party affiliations, but by a common goal: to work for Ponta Delgada, for its sustainable development, and for governance oriented toward the collective interest.

Using the slogan “With Courage for a Ponta Delgada for All,” the manifesto reads: "This candidacy is driven by the desire to build a more just, 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 pillars to transform Ponta Delgada. These are: Human Development, Quality of Life, Sustainability and Environmental Protection, Economic Development, Transparency, and Decision-Making Power."

This candidacy, based on principles of dialogue, cooperation, and participatory governance, has had results. In the local elections, the movement achieved a historic result: 26.07% of the votes (8,003 votes), equaling the number of councilors from the PSD - which won with only 33.88% and lost its absolute majority for the first time in the municipality it had led for over 30 years. Thus, the PSD elected three councilors, the Ponta Delgada para Todos movement elected another three, the PS coalition elected two, and Chega elected only one.

The rise of the PDLPT was not only 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 portfolios and proposing, as an alternative, a Memorandum of Dialogue - Serving Ponta Delgada for All, defending principles such as transparency, merit, good public management, and consultation between political forces.

The PDLPT's election campaign cost approximately €31,000, with donations from around 50 people, and requested a subsidy (reimbursement) of €23,000, when the subsidy defined by law for a party that reaches 8,003 votes is €75,000. This transparency sends the right message: 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 Portuguese population is not just looking to “protest” at the polls, but also to participate. They seek structures that are less partisan and more citizen-oriented, less polarized and more focused on solving concrete problems: housing, mobility, environmental sustainability, local social policies, and the credibility of institutions. It also shows that aspiring to sustainable development can win 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 protest, Ponta Delgada demonstrates that discontent can generate constructive proposals, focused on the territory, the community, and the enhancement 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 shows 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 Portuguese people want to have positive feelings of courage and commitment, 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. In this sense, the Ponta Delgada for All movement symbolizes something greater than a local result: it symbolizes proof that there is space—and demand—for new political paths in Portugal, ones that are more participatory, more collaborative, and truly committed to the sustainable development of communities, appealing to a sense of construction and cooperation rather than the feelings of hatred and fear that spread like a virus and bring nothing good to the country.