Summary:
Socialist junta presidents in Lisbon express "great surprise and concern" over the intimidation faced by the Santa Maria Maior junta.
The decision to reclaim the building is seen as a "serious move politically" and a dangerous precedent.
Mayor Carlos Moedas suggested a new location for the Academy of Amateur Music without informing the local junta.
Miguel Coelho, president of Santa Maria Maior, was surprised by the mayor's announcement regarding the building.
The order to return the building is viewed as a "clear violation" of a previously established contract.
Surprise and Concern from Socialist Presidents in Lisbon
The Socialist presidents of various juntas in Lisbon expressed their "great surprise and concern" over the "intimidation" faced by the Santa Maria Maior junta as it was ordered to return a municipal building to the City Hall.
In a statement, the presidents of 12 Lisbon juntas described the decision as a "serious move both politically and as a dangerous precedent", indicating that any building previously granted to the juntas could now be at the mercy of any political majority's whims.
On Wednesday, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas (PSD) announced a solution for the Academy of Amateur Music, suggesting a municipal building located on Rua Vítor Cordon in Chiado. However, the president of the Santa Maria Maior junta, Miguel Coelho, expressed surprise at this announcement, stating he had not been informed of the decision.
The proposed building is currently shared with the Artistic Production Organization (OPART) and also houses an archive for the Santa Maria Maior junta. The junta's order to return the building, issued via an official letter from the Municipal Property Management Directorate, is viewed as a "clear violation of a contract" established in 2013.
According to the Socialist presidents, Moedas decided to resolve the issue of needing new facilities for the Academy by evicting the junta from the property, without prior consultation with Coelho. They argue that this contradicts the principles of democratic dialogue, equating the legitimacy of a junta president to that of a mayor.
They condemned the municipal direction's interference in how a junta organizes its services, labeling it an "inappropriate overreach of authority" that undermines local government autonomy.
In a subsequent statement, Coelho revealed that just hours before the council meeting, the junta received a notice from the City Hall unilaterally terminating the contract established during the 2012 administrative reform. He criticized the mayor for demanding cooperation after the eviction without prior contact.
Coelho firmly rejected the justification for the contract termination, asserting it disrespects the junta's legal and political autonomy, and he refuses to comply with the unfounded and inappropriate order from the City Hall.
This statement was co-signed by the Socialist presidents of juntas from Ajuda, Alcântara, Beato, Benfica, Campolide, Marvila, Misericórdia, Olivais, Santa Maria Maior, São Vicente, Santa Clara, and Penha de França.
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