Accusations of irrelevance and exchanges of insults mark the IL National Council

The existing malaise in the Liberal Initiative (IL) had a new episode at the National Council that took place this Sunday, in Coimbra, with what participants contacted by DN admitted to have been an audible exchange of insults between affectionate leaders and critics of Rui’s leadership Rock.

The height of tension at the liberals’ meeting, called to discuss the scenario arising from the March 10 legislative elections and its consequences for the party, occurred after the intervention of one of the national advisors linked to the internal opposition. Rafael Corte Real, who was part of João Cotrim de Figueiredo’s Executive Committee and was one of Carla Castro’s main supporters in the internal dispute in which Rui Rocha won, agitated some members of the leadership by questioning whether “it was worth reducing this party to a sect, composed of indefectibles.”

The use of the expression “sect”, hearing out loud what has long been commented in silence by members of the IL who are out of line with the leadership, had the power to generate an exchange of insults that had no greater consequences than making it even worse. The separation between some of those who coincided in the governing bodies was more evident when, in the 2022 legislative elections, Cotrim de Figueiredo elevated the IL from a single deputy to a parliamentary group of eight.

Eight was precisely the number of people elected on March 10 – the loss of the fourth term in the Lisbon Circle was compensated by the “debut” in Aveiro -, while Chega multiplied its parliamentary representation, from 12 to 50 deputies. A “stagnation” highlighted in Corte Real’s words, for whom “it would be better” to have had a “responsive defeat” instead of a result that calls into question the party’s purpose.

Although even the most critical admit that Rui Rocha ran a good electoral campaign, with positive performances in the debates – “it even looked beautiful”, said Rafael Corte Real, during the National Council, earning laughter from the participants -, it was not forgotten that the IL lost relevance and support among young people, failing to achieve its electoral objective. No longer the 15% that the leader promised when he was elected, in January 2023, when the absolute majority of the PS made it think that the legislature would only end in 2026, but 7.5%, well above the final 4.94%. Or the 12 deputies, an objective that involved having two more elected in Lisbon (despite the departure of Cotrim de Figueiredo and Carla Castro), one more in Porto and the head of the list in Leiria.

Even without having gotten there, and without guaranteeing an absolute majority to the AD – or an advantage over the sum of the PS with left-wing parties and PAN -, Rocha maintains that it is up to Luís Montenegro to decide whether he wants the liberals in the Government.