The official campaign for the European elections began today with most parties focused on Lisbon, with the exception of AD, PS and Chega, who dedicated the day to districts south of the Tagus River. In Olhão, in the Algarve, the head of the list of the Democratic Alliance (AD), Sebastião Bugalho, declined to speak about Sunday's elections in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, where one of the parties that is part of the AD, the PSD, came first but without an absolute majority. Regarding proposals for the European elections, Sebastião Bugalho argued that Portugal should have more policies related to the sea in order to create wealth for its citizens and criticized the PS for not having a word for fishermen in its electoral program. The head of the PS list, Marta Temido, denied that the defeat of the socialists in Madeira would add pressure to her candidacy for the European elections, considering that these are two distinct elections. Marta Temido did not want to comment on her expectations regarding the number of PS elected in the European elections, saying that she did not want to put herself "out of the running". The number one on the CDU list, João Oliveira, who started the campaign with a street rally in Amadora, also referred to the distinct nature of the two elections and preferred not to set "quantitative objectives" for the European elections. Confident in the reinforcement of the communist bench in the European Parliament, João Oliveira argued that the "great alienation" of the population in relation to the European elections should be countered. The "number one" of the Left Bloc, Catarina Martins, who started the campaign at the Feira de Espinho, said she did not fear any contagion effect from the regional elections in Madeira, where the bloc lost representation in the Regional Legislative Assembly. The candidate also declined to define a goal for the number of deputies to be elected by the Bloc, admitting only that she wanted to have "a strong result". Chega started the electoral campaign in the southwest of Alentejo, in Vila Nova de Milfontes, and its president, André Ventura, resumed one of the party's flags: greater control over immigration. Ventura reaffirmed the need for greater control over immigration and the prioritization of foreigners who speak Portuguese and share the "cultural matrix". Although acknowledging that "there is immigration that is needed", the leader of Chega criticized the entry regime, which he classified as "absurd". João Cotrim de Figueiredo, "number one" on the Liberal Initiative list, outlined at the end of a street rally in Lisbon that the objective is to elect a MEP on June 9 and pointed to abstention as his "great adversary". The head of the Liberal Initiative list also said that he is "doing everything possible" to be with the President of Ukraine, who is visiting Portugal on Tuesday, and to express the party's "unequivocal support". Francisco Paupério, "number one" on the Livre list, started the campaign with a crossing between the two banks of the Tagus River to defend more European investment in sustainable mobility and energy transition, on a journey that he said proved how this bet serves people. The journey between Cais do Sodré and Cacilhas took just over 10 minutes, in one of Transtejo's new electric boats, financed through European funds but, for many inhabitants, who still have to resort to cars. Still in the field of sustainability, the head of the PAN list, Pedro Fidalgo Marques, defended the need to better target support for renewable energies, stating that there is money but it needs to be made accessible to companies and families. Fidalgo Marques was speaking at the end of a visit to the technology 'start up' Wind Credible, creator of revolutionary turbines to produce wind energy. Around 373 million European voters are called to vote for the European Parliament between June 6 and 9. In Portugal, the vote is on the 9th. 720 MEPs will be elected, 21 of whom are Portuguese. A total of 17 parties and coalitions are running in the elections: AD, PS, Chega, IL, BE, CDU, Livre, PAN, ADN, MAS, Ergue-te, Nova Direita, Volt Portugal, RIR, Nós Cidadãos, MPT and PTP. Read Also: Bugalho says he will be "in spirit and politically" with Zelensky (Portuguese version)