“Portugal has been living under the dominance of the strategic vote, which is the realm of second choices. It is a vote that does not express a conviction, but rather a fear or concern. A country that consistently votes out of fear or concern inevitably ends up with timid, prudent, and barely transformative politicians and policies. Voting for the second or third choice is resigning ourselves to this mediocrity, which we then criticize day by day,” he argued.
During a luncheon debate in Lisbon, part of the series “A Strategic Presidency for Portugal XXI,” organized by the CIP – Confederação Empresarial de Portugal, the candidate supported by the Liberal Initiative asserted that the demand placed on the State and companies “must also exist at the moment of voting.”
For Cotrim, “mature democracy is one in which citizens vote for the best choice, not the least feared one,” he cautioned.
“The renewal of the political class will only emerge when we stop choosing the least bad option and start selecting the best for the country,” he emphasized.
According to Cotrim Figueiredo, “over the recent years, the country has become accustomed to resigning with what is achievable, and Portugal needs a President of the Republic who challenges what is possible and categorically rejects stagnation.”
“I believe Portugal has the conditions to be a much more prosperous country than it is today. It has talent, institutional stability, quality of life, business leaders of great capability represented here, and companies that are notable cases of international success, although not many,” he listed.
What has been missing for too long, according to the candidate, is “a demanding economic vision that places productivity, competitiveness, and innovation at the center” of the national agenda.
“My candidacy does that. It is based on three pillars of culture, knowledge, and economic growth, all of them interconnected,” he stated, considering that “without wealth, there is no true freedom.”
Cotrim Figueiredo expressed a desire to restore ambition to the Portuguese people, who, “whenever they are duly called to demonstrate their worth, do not waver or fail.”
“Within the presidential competencies, my proposal for Portugal is simple: I want to be a President who does not replace the Government but challenges it. Who does not promise miracles but demands results. Who does not accept resignation but encourages ambition. Who does not fear change but prepares and calls for that change,” he outlined.
For the candidate, Portugal needs to modernize, challenging Portuguese companies to participate in this change.
During the Q&A session, the MEP again addressed the issues of justice, particularly the impact of the slowness of processes in the fiscal domain on companies, as well as the lack of scrutiny regarding the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The presidential elections are set for January 18, 2026.
Besides Cotrim Figueiredo, other candidates who have announced their bids for the presidency include André Ventura (supported by Chega), António Filipe (backed by the PCP), António José Seguro (supported by the PS), Catarina Martins (backed by the BE), Jorge Pinto (backed by Livre), Luís Marques Mendes (supported by the PSD), and Henrique Gouveia e Melo.
