Born in Faro, the architect has 40 years of experience in his job, and has always tried to combat the bureaucracy in the country. When moving to Loulé, Fernando Santos played rugby and even directed the Loulé Rugby Club.

The Portugal News (TPN): Why did you decide to run as President of Loulé?
Fernando Santos (FS): In 2021, due to my work as an architect and my constant battle against bureaucracy, I was invited by Chega to run as a candidate for President of Loulé, as I was known for my stance against this bureaucratic system, and the party believed I had the right profile to be the candidate for President of the municipality.
I accepted the challenge during the Covid pandemic, and I managed to be elected Councillor. Since then, I have been an opposition councillor, or as it’s said, without portfolio, trying to ensure things function and gaining experience for this new phase that lies ahead.

TPN: What makes your candidacy different from that of your opponents?
FS: My candidacy is not based on promises. The municipality and its available potential calls for a planning strategy that encompasses all areas and interconnects them so that they do not operate in isolation and waste resources, but instead aim for optimal functioning of an entity that manages a vast municipality with very different characteristics from North to South, with various realities and problems.
Despite being a local authority with great economic capacity, it lacks a global planning approach that could enhance that capacity, improving the municipality and the lives of its inhabitants.
So the difference compared to my opponents, whose proposals I still do not know very well, lies in the global strategy for the municipality and in Planning. By doing that, I can fulfil all the promises they make, but in a sustained and sustainable manner.

TPN: Do you believe that the results of the legislative elections could help leverage your victory in the local elections?
FS: Yes, of course, given Chega’s results in the municipality, our job is to prove that in Loulé, we have the ability to use those votes for the benefit of the municipality, and for that we have a competent and prepared team so that those who voted for Chega in the legislative elections can also feel represented locally by people who stand for the party but at the same time can serve them, in their hometown.

TPN: What will Chega do to put an end to the Partido Socialista (PS) legacy in the municipality?
FS: To put an end to the Socialist Party’s legacy in Loulé, we must think of those who were most harmed by it, which are the municipal employees, in my opinion.
They are the ones who most felt what I believe you are calling the Socialist Party’s legacy in Loulé. Also, those who depended on nurseries and care homes for the elderly, which were never built. Twelve years of absolute majorities leave a trace, and our intention is to focus first on the people who provide public service and those are the employees of the Town Council at all levels. These people must be valued and given the conditions to provide excellent public service, but above all, with enjoyment.

TPN: If winning the elections, what measures would you implement for the foreign community?

FS: When talking about the foreign population, we have several groups. There are those who choose the municipality to live in, many to retire in the first instance, then younger ones with small children who often work online or spend part of the year here and part abroad, but who have their children in school. I believe that for these people, the PS “legacy” was not favourable. I think that proximity would bring many benefits to both the municipality of Loulé and to the residents who choose to live here. I will try to build that bridge.
Then we have the immigrant population who in recent years have arrived in the municipality in significant numbers, either as refugees or for work, and they too must receive the attention they deserve, and their issues must be resolved so that they can also integrate – not as a threat, but as partners and full residents of the Municipality of Loulé.

TPN: What plans do you propose to stimulate the local economy of the richest municipality in the Algarve?
FS: The proposals are very broad, but we can separate them and try to identify the key directions in this area.
Diversify the offer of economic activities so that we do not depend solely on tourism, nor have an economy that lives only off that activity. Fight seasonality, for example, based on the unique conditions we have for sports, if conditions exist for this, and we have concrete proposals in the field of high-performance sport, creating conditions to attract athletes and sportspeople from all over the world. We only need to create the conditions and prioritise contact with federations, creating on-the-ground infrastructure and equipment to attract these athletes from all fields.
Another strength lies in research, in the fields of health and active ageing, trying to take advantage of a project started by the previous administration. We must analyse and enhance it to attract young Portuguese who would not have to leave Portugal, but also to attract figures who bring us prestige.
Create conditions for other economic and even cultural activities that would like to be in the Algarve but have never had the means to do so, and when they tried, they found themselves surrounded by bureaucracy.
On this point, I believe we have foreign residents in the Algarve who own large companies and, with the right conditions, could transfer parts of their operations here, creating quality jobs. We must find them, speak to them, and make them our partners.

TPN: If you were elected President of the Municipality of Loulé, what would be your first measure?
The first measure must be to speak with the people who work in the Câmara Municipal and to work with them to carry out everything else that remains to be done. They are the ones who get things done. That must be the first step. Plan the functioning of the Câmara Municipal by involving all those who believe that it is possible to do better and not waste opportunities, making Loulé an exemplary municipality. These are the people who can make that happen.