“I have said several times that yes, because this law results from a negotiation. When negotiating, one should not only look at the absolute merits of the outcome but also at what would happen if there were no renegotiation,” stated today at the Horse Fair in Golegã, emphasizing that the previous legislation “caused problems recognized by all.”
The candidate considered the preventive supervision requested by the PS on the Nationality Law as legitimate but highlighted the need for the bill to ensure constitutional safeguards.
“This bill must be very well designed to prevent citizens from being left without nationality,” he stressed.
The candidate supported by the Liberal Initiative also criticized the exclusion of channels like CMTV and Now from television debates, advocating “more pluralism” and accusing the television networks of maintaining “antiquated metrics” based on polls.
“Those who want the renewal of the political class cannot use outdated ways of viewing the world,” he said, lamenting not being invited to the CNN summit set for the 21st.
The stance comes on the same day that the Regulatory Entity for Social Communication (ERC) recommended expanding the agreement between RTP, SIC, and TVI for the presidential election debates set for January 18, 2026, following a complaint from Medialivre, owner of CMTV and News Now.
In statements to the media, Cotrim Figueiredo also emphasized that he does not intend to focus the campaign on sectoral policies, noting that the President of the Republic “does not have executive power.”
“It makes no sense to insist on measures that are not crucial for the collective future or decisive for people’s daily lives,” he stated.
Regarding the proposal for a new labor law currently under discussion in social consultation, he warned of the risk of missing “an opportunity for structural reforms” due to opposition.
“With all this social opposition and the threat of strikes, I fear it is a missed opportunity to effectively change labor laws. We have a great tendency to value the immediate protest of people who feel affected by this change or any other. But we are not listening to the protests of those harmed by the non-approval of this change,” he stated.
Cotrim Figueiredo also called for a long-term view in the reforms of the social security system and the National Health Service to avoid “implosions” in the future.
“It’s better to reform today than to have a system collapse in 20 years,” he said, criticizing the “excessive valuation of the present” and urging that “future impact be considered equally.”
In Golegã, where the traditional horse fair takes place, the candidate said he is experiencing a campaign “with unprecedented adherence and enthusiasm,” assuring that support for his candidacy is “positive” and not as a “second choice.”
