The president of the Liberal Initiative announced on Friday that she withdrew political confidence from a councilor in the Sintra City Council, who decided to join the executive with Chega, due to “principles.”
Mariana Leitão reiterated that André Ventura’s party “attacks and gradually destroys democracy every day” and thus, as far as this party is concerned, the IL is resolute: “We will not make any agreements with a party that seeks to destroy democracy.”
“We made a decision in the Executive Committee to have no agreements in municipal executives”, stated Mariana Leitão. “As long as I am the president of the Liberal Initiative (IL), this commitment will be honored under any circumstances,” she promised.
When asked if this situation serves as a warning to other liberal councilors, Mariana Leitão remarked that there are “no other situations under these circumstances” and that it is “not a matter of warning, it is a matter of principle.”
The liberal leader also noted that “in the country’s second-largest municipality, ‘no means no’ turned into ‘no means yes'”, referring to the repeated phrase by Luís Montenegro about possible agreements with Chega (especially during his first campaign for legislative elections).
“What I am saying is based on facts,” she emphasized, stating that “the only party that truly stands uncompromisingly against any government agreements with this party is the IL.”
“It is very important for Luís Montenegro, who is the author of the phrase ‘no means no’, to explain the circumstances of ‘no means no’, which now, due to convenience, turns ‘no means no’ into ‘no means yes’,” she stated.
The IL president argued that “it is very important for the country to clarify this ‘no means yes’ and its extent,” questioning: “How far does this extent of ‘no means yes’ go? Under what circumstances? In what conveniences?”
The PSD president (and prime minister) has frequently used the expression “no means no” to reject agreements with Chega, but at the municipal level, Montenegro deferred decisions about governance to the elected local officials, citing “local power autonomy.”
“The elected local officials will have to take responsibility,” stated Luís Montenegro on the night of the local elections on October 12, referring to those who won without a majority as well as those who did not win.
IL Councilor in Sintra Joined Executive with Chega
On Friday, the Liberal Initiative announced it would withdraw political confidence from Sintra councilor Eunice Baeta after she agreed to join an executive with Chega councilors.
The decision followed the public revelation that the PSD/IL/PAN coalition leading the Sintra City Council “chose to make an agreement with Chega” in the executive, in information provided by socialist Ana Mendes Godinho.
“Eunice Baeta, a councilor elected by the PSD/IL coalition in Sintra, informed me yesterday of her decision to join an executive under these conditions, violating the decision made by the IL Executive Committee,” stated a communiqué signed by Mariana Leitão.
“The Liberal Initiative has always said it would never join any government with Chega and I reaffirm this unwavering position here,” it further states.
The Always with the Sintrenses candidacy, led by Marco Almeida from the PSD, obtained 33.86% of the votes and four seats in the October 12 elections, ahead of former minister Ana Mendes Godinho (PS/Livre), with 31.67% and also four seats, followed by Rita Matias from Chega, with 23.38% and three seats.
Mariana Leitão, president of the Liberal Initiative, announced today she withdrew political confidence in Eunice Baeta, who accepted the position of councilor in Sintra under an executive led by the PSD, where Chega holds portfolios.
Andrea Pinto with Lusa | 11:26 – 07/11/2025
