A network of public kindergartens and European programmes to support housing policies are two key measures of his campaign.

The socialist electoral manifesto is to be approved on Saturday at the party’s national commission meeting.

Interviewed by Lusa, Pedro Marques said that addressing low- and middle-class problems were his major concerns.

“Our manifesto will include investment support among the priorities”, he added.

If we could settle an EU network of early childhood infrastructures “young families would feel more comfortable taking the decision to have children”, Pedro Marques stressed.

On the other hand, housing policies are also a priority, because “they are absolutely crucial not only in Portuguese cities by also in other European cities”, he said.

“This problem can be addressed by allocating Community funds to housing policies managed by city councils, which would benefit young families and middle-class families”, he explained.

Pedro Marques has summed up the idea of PS for “a new social contract to Europe”: investment and employment, combat to social inequalities and control the budget.