By Jadir Zimmermann, ADI-PR
In the 2024 municipal elections, the PSD consolidated its national leadership by electing the largest number of mayors. The leadership that the party achieved in the 1st round was confirmed after the end of the counts this Sunday (27) in the 2nd round.
This is the first time in at least 20 years that the MDB has been surpassed by another party in terms of the total number of mayoral elections in the country. Third place went to the PP.
In Paraná, the PSD's dominance was even more evident. The party elected mayors in 162 municipalities in the first round, and last Sunday (1), the two largest electoral colleges in the state, Curitiba and Londrina, also elected their party members, reaching 27 mayors in Paraná municipalities. Added to the 164 mayors elected by other parties and who counted on the PSD in their coalitions, 93 of the 257 municipalities will be administered by the governor's allies, equivalent to 399% of the cities.
In an interview with ADI-PR, deputy Alexandre Curi, the next president of the Legislative Assembly, highlighted the strength of the party, which comes out of these elections stronger and more prepared for future challenges.
For Curi, the direct action of Governor Ratinho Júnior and the mobilization of mayors in the metropolitan region were fundamental to the results obtained in this second round in Curitiba and Londrina.
In addition to its performance at the polls, the PSD state leadership points to a promising scenario in 2026. According to Curi, the party, which already administers the main cities and has important leaders in the Assembly and also in the state Executive, is set to make further progress. The deputy highlighted the role of Eduardo Pimentel, elected mayor of Curitiba, as a key player in the turnaround of the second round, which gave the PSD the opportunity to continue the development and dialogue project in Paraná.
ADI-PR: Deputy, how do you evaluate the PSD's performance in this year's elections?
Alexandre Curi: A very positive assessment of the PSD in Paraná. In Brazil, it has the largest number of mayors, 876. And here in Paraná, by far, it is the party that has elected the largest number of mayors.
ADI-PR: And what about the specific result in the main cities of the state?
Alexandre Curi: This Sunday, we had a significant victory in the two largest cities in Paraná: in the capital, Curitiba, with Eduardo Pimentel; and in the largest city in the interior, Londrina, with state deputy Tiago Amaral. The PSD comes out of this much stronger, and will be administering the main cities in the state of Paraná. This is very good, because it allows the continuation of this dialogue that the governor has with the mayors of Paraná. My compliments to Governor Ratinho Júnior, our state president of the PSD, and to all the state and federal deputies who played a very important role. Once again, the PSD of Paraná comes out much stronger.
ADI-PR: After the result in Curitiba, the governor said that the ballot boxes brought a message. What is your interpretation of this statement?
Alexandre Curi: We followed the elections and saw the governor's positioning, which, for me, comes out of this electoral process much stronger, not only due to the number of mayors elected by the PSD, but also due to the governor's active participation in the second round, both in the election of Eduardo Pimentel, in Curitiba, and in the election of Tiago Amaral, in Londrina.
ADI-PR: Do you believe that this result from 2024 provides a signal for 2026, especially with regard to renewal? The Curitiba City Council, for example, underwent significant renewal.
Alexandre Curi: We have seen the influence of social media and the presence of people from outside Paraná who have come to tarnish the image of our cities. Unfortunately, social media does not allow for contradictions, as there is no right of reply. We have been greatly harmed by these people who have used disinformation and fake news networks, which has caused great harm in the first round, especially in Curitiba and Londrina.
ADI-PR: And what was done to combat this?
Alexandre Curi: We had to reinvent ourselves and made changes in the second round. In the debates with voters who depend on the City Hall's public services, our candidate, Eduardo Pimentel, made it clear that he would respect all ideologies and would be the mayor of all Curitiba residents. This stance was extremely important for the big turnaround in the second round, ensuring a victory with a large margin.
ADI-PR: We can also highlight the great mobilization of the mayors of the metropolitan region of Curitiba. How important was this union?
Alexandre Curi: The presence of the mayors of the metropolitan region was undoubtedly crucial. The PSD was the big winner in the region, winning the three largest cities: São José dos Pinhais, Colombo and Fazenda Rio Grande. This mobilization began on the Monday after the first round and intensified when our opponent presented a proposal to prevent the population of the metropolitan region from using the capital's health services. This mobilized the mayors even more.
ADI-PR: In your opinion, what was decisive for the result in the second round?
Alexandre Curi: Common sense prevailed, and the best prepared candidate won, the one who presented the best proposals and who prepared himself to be mayor. In the three debates held in the second round, Eduardo Pimentel demonstrated great knowledge about the city, its problems and qualities, confirming that Curitiba is one of the most intelligent cities in the world, but that, like any city, it has its challenges. He was our protagonist, he prepared himself, did well in the debates and presented the best proposal to the people of Curitiba.
ADI-PR: The result of these elections, combined with the PSD's leadership in the state, gives the party the credentials to perform well in 2026. How do you see this and what are your plans?
Alexandre Curi: The mayors of Londrina and Curitiba, the president of the Assembly, and the state governor are PSD leaders. All of them are from this new generation of politicians, under the age of 45, and occupy important positions in Paraná. The big winner of these elections is Governor Ratinho Júnior, who presides over the party. All the deputies and mayors were fundamental in the elections in Curitiba and Londrina. The PSD is qualified to launch a strong candidate in 2026, and I have already expressed this willingness internally.
ADI-PR: What is your wish for 2026?
Alexandre Curi: The PSD of Paraná has names like Rafael Greca, Sandro Alex, Guto Silva, Beto Preto and the vice-governor Darci Piana. I also place myself among these names who are qualified to present my name to the party to run for the State Governor. But I am a party man and I think it is still too early to discuss 2026. Eduardo Pimentel's victory strengthens the PSD and represents the continuity of this policy of peace that Governor Ratinho Júnior managed to build in Paraná. This is good for the state, because when there is dialogue between the governor, the Assembly and the mayor of the capital, Paraná moves forward.
ADI-PR: The polls have shown a significant migration of votes from the progressive camp to Eduardo Pimentel. Do you believe that this aspect opens a channel for dialogue with the left in the next administration?
Alexandre Curi: Eduardo Pimentel was clear in his position as a right-wing candidate, but he made it clear that he will govern for all Curitiba residents. Common sense prevailed. The left understood, at the time when their candidate did not make it to the second round, that it was better for the city to have a mayor who would communicate with everyone, regardless of their political and ideological positions.
ADI-PR: But how can this be done in a country divided in the last elections by polarization?
Alexandre Curi: Eduardo Pimentel respects the contradiction and now, as mayor, he will respect the opposition's positions. He has managed to engage in dialogue with everyone: left, right, center and even the extreme right. We respect all positions, even if we do not agree with some, especially some journalists from outside Paraná who, without knowing the city, came with an aggressive tone and fake news to denigrate the image of Curitiba and our candidate. We will maintain dialogue with everyone, always respecting differences of opinion.
