This is turning out to be quite a messy campaign, isn’t it? It’s still ongoing. It will conclude in the next few days, making way for the next one. We haven’t learned much. In fact, it seems that we have unlearned much of what we were supposed to know. Starting with civility, whether in debates, the responsibility of public stations (RDP and RTP), or in campaign actions.

Take, for instance, the glaring example of the language used by the usual suspects. Unfortunately, we are normalizing banality in politics. There are even people who intentionally vote for these individuals. But this is not normal. A regional deputy who writes without any politeness in the way he portrays himself, whether in opinion articles, debates, or posts on his social media, deserves nothing but contempt. I regret that this is the case.

We live in a world of profanity and moral heresy. Where swearing is a habit and respect is forbidden. I’m deeply saddened by what I’ve read. Even about people I consider to be on the opposite side of the values I defend. Rock bottom has long been the ceiling for Ventura’s suits.

Meanwhile, the campaign continues. We witness confusion and exchanges of pennants, from Corvo and Flores to Nordeste and Santa Maria. Anything goes except political measures. They opt instead for personal attacks, empty, incongruous speeches. There appears to be a political bipolarity within the same person, where, as a congressman, he remains silent on certain government decisions, only to criticize them during his local election campaign…

Political programs were presented and distributed, somewhat secretly, because what counts now are viral videos, whether they are edited to include insults or donkeys rearing up on dirt roads.

From a general analysis, without time or space for lengthy texts, I highlight the work done by some candidates with the capacity to do so, as they presented themselves to the public in the debates. In Praia da Vitória, as I have already mentioned here, Marco Martins is the obvious candidate, beyond the current one’s angry personality and in the face of the unspeakable dictatorial alternative. In Vila do Porto, I witnessed one of the most significant moments of political elevation, in a debate on respect for others, worthy of being heard by the electorate. In Ribeira Grande, we saw three candidacies led by women who elevated the discussion. Well prepared, assertive, and certain of the fundamental role of politics in people’s lives. These are good examples, isolated ones, which make little difference when confronted with the confusion that is going on here. I watched the debate in Lagoa, and the amount of misinformation uttered by the candidate, who is also a member of parliament and who should have more political responsibility. She has nothing but a hammer to break everything and a lack of vision to rebuild anything. It should be noted that we witnessed a moment when she was confronted with factual data that contradicted her roundabout discourse, which she employs regardless of the context, whether in statements or in a tavern.

Here, on the island where I live, and in the municipality where I vote, things always seem to be better. At least, that is how I interpret Fátima Amorim’s political manifesto, a candidate with a complex and comprehensive program that covers nearly everything. She is a woman who represents the continuity of Álamo de Meneses, a politician with whom I disagreed, but for whom I have institutional respect and who I know left a legacy. Not always as I would have liked, of course. Still, it is significant for the municipality.

In contrast, there is Luísa Barcelos, a person for whom I have sympathy and whose courage I admire, whom the party calls the “young hope,” as if she were not already sufficiently entrenched in the current government system. That is not why she deserves criticism, however. The debate concerning the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo revealed what was being said in the corridors. A choice that reflects the insecurity of a PSD that did not want to put forward big names, perhaps for fear of disastrous results in the face of internal disagreements. It was distressing to see poorly prepared candidacies, as a quick reading of the municipal minutes would suffice to realize that, in the case of the Municipal Market, the PSD has only now woken up to the UNESCO award. At the time, the problem was the municipality’s spending on infrastructure improvements to ensure greater well-being for its workers.

And what about the coffee and banana man? Perhaps he does not even deserve to be mentioned in a serious analysis of the future of the heritage city. However, there is a note for those who plan to vote for Mr. Ventura, without even knowing the name of the candidate they are helping to promote. The current candidate for the Angra do Heroísmo City Council limited himself to repeating the same old speech and adding nothing. Absolutely nothing! Watching and rewatching the debate, the same answer was given to all the questions asked.

There is much to be said about the debate in Ponta Delgada. I will not call it a “fish market” because that would be an insult to the work of fishmongers and market vendors. Instead, I will use the terms used by the candidate: mess and shame! If a woman had behaved in that way, she would certainly have been described as hysterical.

I would like to highlight Henrique Levy’s intervention regarding the future of the Portuguese Capital of Culture, where we understand that, for the current president, candidate for the coalition, events are scheduled to take place in the Coliseum. It would be worthwhile to examine what has been done in Braga and the dynamic way in which different cultural aspects are integrated throughout the city.

I would like to highlight Alexandra Cunha’s intervention regarding the outdated approach to public transport throughout the region, drawing a parallel between large European cities and the Azores. Change mentalities!

I would highlight the calmness, poise, and savoir faire of Isabel Rodrigues, and the assertiveness of Sónia Nicolau, who managed to shake the apparent calm of the coalition candidate, who, throughout the debate, had to “drink the cup of water to the end.” I conclude that it is very likely this municipality will become ungovernable.

With the regional leader of Chega occupying a relevant position in the government of that municipality, and with the lack of an absolute majority leaving Nascimento Cabral barefoot, it remains to be seen what will happen to the fate of the largest council in the Azores.

We are in the final phase of the campaign. The first of the local elections in which André Ventura envisioned himself as the head of a great Portuguese power. The final result will be debatable. Unfortunately, I foresee an even greater decline in the center and on the left. With the PSD continuing to bury its head in the sand, unable to recognize the mistakes it is perpetuating, which are leading to the growth of the destructive wing of social justice. And with the people hypnotized by a hate monger who has spent years laying the foundations of the ignoble castle of slander, he has built in Portugal.

I am not looking for alternatives with this article. I am compelled to lament the current state of affairs. And appeal to those who believe in the solution. Be at Lar Doce Livro on October 23 to talk to Miguel Carvalho, the journalist who brought us the book about that party, which was even responsible for the disastrous resignation of one of Ventura’s advisors. Come on, prepare the resistance, because all help will be needed.

Alexandra Manes is from Flores Island but lives in Terceira Island, Azores. She is a regular contributing writer for several Azorean newspapers, a political and cultural activist, and has served in the Azorean Parliament.

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from various leading thinkers and writers from the Azores, providing the diaspora and those interested in the current state of the Azores with a sense of the significant opinions on some of the archipelago’s issues.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL).