I don't come to play to lose. I come to win.
Na véspera das eleições municipais do Porto, Vladimiro Feliz, candidato do PSD à câmara, apresentou a sua candidatura não como uma simples disputa política, mas como um momento de escolha civilizacional entre o que a cidade já foi e o que ainda pode vir a ser. Num encontro de campanha no Marquês, com uma tarde de setembro como pano de fundo, Feliz invocou a tradição portuense de optar pela transformação — 2001, 2013 — para sugerir que o eleitorado voltaria a escolher o futuro sobre a continuidade. Onze candidatos disputam a presidência da câmara, mas o confronto central que Feliz propõe é entre a sua visão prospetiva e o projeto de consolidação do independente Rui Moreira.
- Feliz entra na reta final da campanha convicto de que o PSD é a única força de oposição com crescimento real e energia visível nas ruas do Porto.
- A tensão central que o candidato instala é clara: votar em Moreira seria optar por fechar capítulos antigos; votar no PSD seria abrir os próximos doze anos da cidade.
- Com onze candidatos em campo, o risco de fragmentação do voto de mudança é real, mas Feliz recusa qualquer narrativa de vitória moral — segundo lugar, diz, é apenas o primeiro entre os perdedores.
- As eleições de domingo funcionarão como teste à capacidade do PSD de converter momentum de campanha em votos concretos, num eleitorado que terá de escolher entre renovação e estabilidade.
Vladimiro Feliz escolheu o Marquês para fazer a sua declaração mais direta da campanha: Porto estava pronta para virar a página. O candidato do PSD à câmara municipal, num encontro de rua com cerca de trinta apoiantes numa tarde de setembro, construiu o seu argumento em torno de uma oposição simples — o futuro contra o passado, a construção contra a conclusão.
Feliz, antigo vice-presidente da câmara, falou com a segurança de quem acredita ter o vento a favor. Descreveu uma campanha em crescimento constante desde o primeiro dia, e posicionou o PSD como a única força de oposição com uma trajetória ascendente real. Para reforçar a ideia, invocou a memória eleitoral da cidade: em 2001 e em 2013, o Porto tinha escolhido a mudança. Desta vez, argumentou, repetiria esse padrão.
Quando confrontado com a hipótese de uma vitória relativa — terminar à frente do PS sem ganhar a câmara —, Feliz foi categórico. Não chegaria. 'Não venho para perder. Venho para ganhar. O segundo lugar é o primeiro entre os perdedores.' A linguagem era a de alguém que já tinha definido o que seria aceitável.
O campo eleitoral era vasto — onze candidatos no total, incluindo o socialista Tiago Barbosa Ribeiro, Ilda Figueiredo pela coligação comunista-verde, Sérgio Aires pelo Bloco de Esquerda, e representantes de partidos que iam do Chega ao Volt. Mas o olhar de Feliz permanecia fixo em Rui Moreira e na narrativa que acreditava ser decisiva: continuidade ou mudança.
Vladimiro Feliz stood at the Marquês, a handful of supporters gathered around him on a September afternoon, and made his pitch simple: Porto was ready to turn the page. The PSD's candidate for mayor, speaking at a street campaign stop that drew roughly thirty people, framed the coming Sunday's election as a choice between building something new and merely finishing what had already begun.
"There is a genuine desire for change in this city," Feliz said. "We represent the future. Rui Moreira's candidacy is the past—it's about completing unfinished business. We're here to construct a Porto for the next twelve years." The contrast he drew was stark: his party against the independent movement backing the sitting mayor, who was running with support from the center-right IL and CDS parties, among others.
Feliz, a former deputy mayor of Porto, spoke with the confidence of someone who believes momentum is on his side. When asked how the campaign was progressing, he offered an assessment that suggested real traction. "It's going very well," he said. "We've felt a steady rise since day one. The numbers have grown. We're the only opposition force that has expanded significantly. You feel that energy in the streets. You hear it when you talk to people." He positioned the PSD as distinct from other challengers, claiming a growth trajectory that others couldn't match.
He also invoked Porto's recent political history as evidence that the city had a habit of choosing transformation. In 2001 and again in 2013, he argued, Porto had voted for change. This election, he suggested, would follow that pattern—voters would choose a candidate prepared to lead the city forward rather than one content to wrap up loose ends.
When pressed on whether simply finishing ahead of the Socialist Party would constitute a victory, Feliz was unambiguous. That alone would not be enough. "I don't come to play to lose. I come to win. Not to finish second. Second place is first among the losers," he said. His language was direct, almost defiant—the tone of someone who had already decided what acceptable outcomes looked like.
The Porto mayoral race had drawn eleven candidates in total. Beyond Feliz and Moreira, the ballot included Tiago Barbosa Ribeiro for the Socialists, Ilda Figueiredo representing the communist-green coalition, Sérgio Aires for the Left Bloc, Bebiana Cunha for the animal-rights party, and candidates from smaller parties including the far-right Chega, the regionalist PPM, the pan-European Volt, a grassroots movement called Ergue-te, and the Greens. It was a crowded field, but Feliz's focus remained fixed on Moreira and the narrative of continuity versus change that he believed would decide the election.
Notable Quotes
There is a genuine desire for change in this city. We represent the future. Rui Moreira's candidacy is the past.— Vladimiro Feliz, PSD mayoral candidate
I don't come to play to lose. I come to win. Not to finish second.— Vladimiro Feliz
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
When Feliz says the PSD is the only opposition force with significant growth, what does that actually mean on the ground? Is he talking about polling, or something else?
He's talking about the feeling of a campaign gaining speed—more people showing up, more conversations happening, a sense that something is shifting. In Portuguese politics, that's often felt before it shows up in numbers. He's claiming the energy is real, not manufactured.
But he's running against an incumbent who's technically independent, not a traditional party. How does that change the dynamic?
It's actually harder for Feliz. Moreira isn't defending a party record; he's defending his own record as mayor. That's more personal, more difficult to attack. Feliz has to convince people that change is better than continuity, which is always a steeper climb when the incumbent hasn't been catastrophic.
He says Porto voted for change in 2001 and 2013. Is he right about that pattern?
Yes, but he's being selective. Those were moments when the city genuinely wanted a different direction. The question now is whether voters see 2021 the same way. Moreira might argue he *is* the change from what came before.
What does "second is first among the losers" actually tell us about how he's thinking?
It tells you he's not running a cautious campaign. He's not hedging. He's saying there's only one acceptable outcome. That kind of certainty can be energizing or it can look naive if the numbers don't cooperate.
With eleven candidates, could a fragmented vote actually help Moreira?
Absolutely. If the anti-Moreira vote splits across multiple candidates, he wins with a plurality. Feliz needs either to consolidate the right or to convince voters he's the only real alternative. That's his real challenge.