Leiria mayors criticise the minister for blaming local councils for delays in support for the reconstruction of homes affected by the storms. Brilhante Dias wants the government official to retract his statements.
Mayors and Leiria Intermunicipal Community accuse Castro Almeida of ignorance and disloyalty

Context & Explainers
Manuel Castro Almeida is Portugal's Minister of Economy and Social Cohesion, a role cited in the article. On 17 February in Sobral de Monte Agraço he said over 4,000 companies had requested storm support totaling nearly €1 billion, figures tied to recent severe weather damage.
The National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses or ANMP) is the umbrella group that represents Portugal’s 308 municipalities in talks with the central government. It negotiates funding, shared services and decentralisation plans—for example, it has been involved in the recent agreement to create a commission and a fund to transfer about 4,000 kilometres of roads to municipal control—so local services and road maintenance may shift to town councils that residents deal with directly.
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Other news coverage of this topic
- Mayors criticise Castro Almeida for 'passing the buck' on support delays: 'It is shameful'9:15pm, 11 Mar 2026 • Expresso
- President of the Association of Municipalities downplays Castro Almeida's complaints regarding the evaluation of applications8:28pm, 11 Mar 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- Beira Baixa in solidarity with Leiria refutes Castro Almeida's statements7:21pm, 11 Mar 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- Mayors criticise minister for 'passing the buck' on delays in housing reconstruction support7:09pm, 11 Mar 2026 • Diário de Notícias









