Rui Cristina, the new Mayor of Albufeira, vowed on Monday that he would not govern “from behind closed doors”, but “out on the streets, face to face with people”. Speaking shortly after his swearing-in, he pledged to build bridges with the opposition, a spirit of cooperation already signalled when Luna Silva (Chega) was elected president of the Municipal Assembly with cross-party support. Cristina also made his first major commitment: within his first year in office, 12,000 medical consultations will be provided to residents without a family doctor, in collaboration with the local social sector.
The Municipal Auditorium was filled to capacity for the ceremony, with many residents queuing two hours in advance to secure a seat. Those unable to enter followed the proceedings on large screens outside the town hall or in its main hall.
Cristina, who succeeds José Carlos Rolo of the Social Democrats (PSD), entered the hall to loud applause alongside Chega party leader André Ventura. The atmosphere, punctuated by cheers each time a Chega councillor was called to the stage, is said to have felt more like a campaign rally than an institutional ceremony.
In his address, Cristina thanked Chega’s candidates “for their courage to step forward and fight for a better municipality”, and the party’s supporters “who believed, against all odds, that politics could be done differently, and better, to return it to the people”.
Calling it “a celebration, not of an election result, but of democracy itself”, he said that few believed “change could truly happen in Albufeira”, yet voters had “clearly chosen determination over complacency” and “claimed their own voice”.
Having resigned from his seat in Parliament, where he represented Beja, Cristina appealed to the opposition to “work responsibly and in dialogue”, placing the interests of Albufeira “above partisan differences”.
“We will build bridges with other political forces through dialogue and strong cooperation. What unites us all is love for Albufeira and its people,” he emphasised.
The new executive includes three Chega members, Jorge do Carmo, Cristina Corado, and the mayor himself, while the PSD is represented by José Carlos Rolo, Cristiano Cabrita and Cláudia Guedelha. The Socialist Party (PS) holds one seat, filled by Victor Ferraz. Outgoing mayor Rolo was absent for “personal reasons” and will be sworn in later.
Housing, security and healthcare were central themes in his speech. He said he was “deeply moved” during the campaign by young locals who told him they could not stay in Albufeira due to a lack of qualified jobs or affordable housing; “outraged” that nearly 18,000 residents had no family doctor; and “ashamed” by “accounts of insecurity” in parts of the municipality.
On housing, he pledged to “create the conditions to build hundreds of affordable homes” and to revise the Municipal Master Plan, a key tool for managing urban development.
On security, he promised to “enforce the law rigorously”, redevelop commercial areas, establish a coordination and security centre, build a new GNR police station in Olhos de Água, and “significantly increase” the size of the Municipal Police force.
In healthcare, he committed to working with Albufeira’s “dynamic social sector” to ensure that every resident without a family doctor gains access to medical consultations.
“Our goal, and I make this promise looking you straight in the eye, is to provide more than 12,000 consultations in our first year to every Albufeira resident without a family doctor,” he said.
Cristina also vowed to implement the municipality’s transport and mobility plan to tackle chronic parking shortages and improve public transport, foster a “vibrant and diverse cultural offering”, and attract entrepreneurs, creative industries and high-value companies to the region.
Concluding his speech, he argued that the Algarve had been “systematically forgotten” and declared that, “from Albufeira, if necessary, I will lead the defence of our region”, demanding that the Government finally deliver “structural investments” such as the long-promised Central Hospital.
