IL admits to join Government but transfers responsibilities to Montenegro | Legislative 2024

Rui Rocha, leader of the Liberal Initiative (IL), said he was available to negotiate with the PSD president about integration into the future Government or parliamentary support but referred the political initiative to Luís Montenegro. The position was taken on the sidelines of a visit to Futurália, an Education and Employability fair, at the Congress Center in Lisbon.

“Available to, in the Government, if applicable, or in Parliament, build a different country. We have always said that we wanted to change the country, we are only available for some understanding if it is really to change the country”, stated Rui Rocha, after being asked whether IL will join the Government of the Democratic Alliance (AD).

Stating that “the next few days will be decisive”, the leader of the liberals insisted that the issue “is on the side of AD”, the coalition with PSD and CDS that won the elections. “[Se a AD] Is it available to change the country, we talked. If you understand that this is not the time, that there are other issues to give priority to, if it is not to change the country, we will be here in Parliament with our ideas”, he stated, recalling the 10 challenges he gave to Luís Montenegro during the television debate between both

Last week, Rui Rocha had considered that the “most likely” scenario would be for the IL to remain in Parliament and evaluate the voting direction “measure by measure” and that the least likely situation, although not totally excluded, would be that of integrate the future AD Government.

Despite ensuring that he does not want to “discuss positions with anyone”, Rocha said that his party “has excellent staff”, that “it will, if necessary, have excellent rulers” and that “it has excellent deputies in Parliament”.

Asked about the proposal on government scenarios that the leadership will take to the party’s national council on Sunday, the leader of the liberals referred the revelation of the recommendation to the body’s meeting and differentiated his party from “others” who say they want “places in government”, maintaining that this is “the moment for modesty”.

He took the same position after being asked whether he had had meetings with Luís Montenegro: “We are at the moment when the composition will be decided, I will not talk about these issues in public”.

The IL leader also revealed that he will propose the former president of the parliamentary group, Rodrigo Saraiva, for the vice-presidency of the Assembly of the Republic, after Mariana Leitão was chosen yesterday to lead the group of eight deputies.

Asked if he believes that the candidate will be elected, after the name nominated by the liberals was rejected in the last legislature, Rui Rocha said that the election will be “natural” and that the “pettiness” of the previous lead “supported by PS deputies and the PSD” no longer “makes sense”. The vice-presidencies of the table – Chega never managed to elect any of the four candidates – “are matters of organization of the Assembly of the Republic and have nothing to do with who we understand each other politically”, he maintained.

Regarding whether he has already spoken to the PSD leader about the matter, Rocha replied: “That is not, in fact, a topic of conversation”.