Questioned regarding the statement by the Secretary-General of the PS, Pedro Nuno Santos, suggesting that a vote for Livre would “indirectly contribute to a victory for AD,” Rui Tavares responded that if the socialists wish to govern, “they should very much want Livre to grow.”
“If they do their job well in winning votes from the center, then Livre will grow in other areas where it can: ecology, freedoms, the European project. All the issues that relate to what people need to be free,” he added.
The spokesperson for Livre spoke to journalists at the Assembly of the Republic during a press meeting to review the party’s parliamentary achievements.
Tavares emphasized the availability to be part of a government led by the Socialists and added that for there to be leftist governability, the “PS should aim to have more votes and mandates than AD, and Livre should seek more votes and mandates than the Liberal Initiative.”
“If this happens, I see no other option but for the President of the Republic to state that there must be a more progressive government,” he said.
Rui Tavares rejected the notion that the party could be harmed by left-wing voters’ adherence to the so-called “useful vote” for the PS, arguing that “people recognize in Livre’s work an important contribution to overcoming a deep crisis the regime is facing.”
The deputy stated that Livre does not seek to gain deputies at the expense of other parties advocating for “workers’ rights,” but rather to win over those who are “drifting towards the far-right” or away from the “sense of community.”
Addressing the PSD/CDS-PP coalition’s stance on television debates with Livre, BE, and PAN, the parliamentary leader, Isabel Mendes Lopes, accused the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, of “cheating by choosing who he wants to debate with,” reiterating that “Rui Tavares will not debate with any other candidate from AD except Luís Montenegro.”
However, the party did not disclose its course of action if the coalition does not back down and presents Nuno Melo, with Rui Tavares asserting that “the ball is in AD’s court,” and depending on the coalition’s decision, “Livre will see what action to take.”
Questioned on expectations for the upcoming elections, the Livre leader stated that “the more elected deputies, the better,” but emphasized that it’s not about “what Livre wants,” but rather what the party can offer, assuring that “if the Portuguese wish to double Livre’s parliamentary group, not only does the quality not decrease, it increases.”
Rui Tavares also argued that Livre can grow on the left by advocating for freedom, a “crucial battle” he believes the “left let slip” to the right.
Regarding the legislature, in which Livre saw 10 bills and 43 resolutions approved, parliamentary leader Isabel Mendes Lopes highlighted the enforcement of kindergarten vacancies for three-year-olds, the expansion of family planning consultations, and the elimination of intermediate pay grades for nurses.
Despite satisfaction with the parliamentary group’s work over the past year, Isabel Mendes Lopes admitted to “some frustration” over how certain proposals were “discussed and considered” by parliament, noting that “essential topics to improve people’s lives” were left aside.
