In a campaign plan unveiled today, IL announced its focus on districts where it successfully elected deputies in the last legislative elections – Lisbon, Porto, Setúbal, Braga, and Aveiro – which currently have the most mandates at stake for the elections on May 18.
Throughout the official 12-day campaign period, IL will conduct activities in at least one of these electoral circles daily, with a particular emphasis on Lisbon and Porto. Beyond these districts, IL’s campaign trail will also include stops in Leiria, Coimbra, Faro, Castelo Branco, and Viseu.
The campaign will feature two to three events each day, involving rallies, street activities, and evening engagements with young people. According to a party statement, the campaign will concentrate on advancing ideas and proposals aimed at fostering economic growth, improving healthcare access, housing, modernizing the state, and restoring confidence in institutions.
Launching this Saturday, a day ahead of the official start, IL will host an event at the Mosteiro de São Bento da Vitória in Porto, where Rui Rocha, along with former party leaders João Cotrim Figueiredo and Carlos Guimarães Pinto, will present and discuss the party’s electoral program.
Subsequently, the IL campaign will move to Setúbal on Sunday before having two significant campaign events in Lisbon on Monday, featuring a street action and a “dinner rally” to demonstrate the party’s vigor and enthusiasm.
The first campaign week will focus on the northern bank of the Tejo River, with stops in Castelo Branco, Viseu, Aveiro, Braga, Porto, and Coimbra, culminating in a major event in Lisbon over the weekend.
The second week will begin in Faro, with progressive travels northward to Setúbal, Lisbon, Leiria, and Porto, concluding the campaign on May 16 with a dinner rally in Braga, the hometown of Rui Rocha.
IL believes that “the elections on May 18 could offer a new direction and hope for the country.”
“IL’s mission is to liberate the country from stagnation and spearhead a real transformation towards a future of freedom, prosperity, and confidence. Portugal doesn’t need more promises, it needs ambition, diligence, work, and results,” the statement reads.
In the last legislative elections, IL achieved its best result to date with nearly 320,000 votes, retaining the eight deputies elected in 2022.
Rui Rocha, the party leader, has expressed a goal to increase the vote count in these elections, without setting a specific target. He has indicated willingness for “governability solutions” post-election, such as agreements with the AD.
