Rui Rocha, accompanied by former IL leader and top candidate for the Porto district, Carlos Guimarães Pinto, set sail this morning from the port of Póvoa de Varzim aboard the Silva Marques boat to discuss labor and fishing issues.
However, just ten minutes after departing, surrounded by sailboats with the sea stretched out ahead, the vessel turned back without crossing the bar, whereupon returning it was met by a jeep and two maritime police officers.
The IL team and the crew explained the sudden change in plans was due to a lack of authorization to cross the bar, as the boat had already been out for fishing earlier in the day, or due to an excess of crew members.
Despite avoiding any metaphorical interpretations linked to shipwrecks or iceberg collisions, Rui Rocha acknowledged his disappointment at not being able to showcase his “high seas navigating skills,” yet expressed confidence that he would take the helm effectively starting May 19.
“We aspire for a stable boat, capable of facing the nation’s challenges and those of the high seas, to sail faster and move towards solutions different from those we have had,” he stated, urging the Portuguese to “place many liberals at the helm of that boat.”
Maintaining a good sense of humor despite the setback, Rui Rocha remarked that the incident vividly illustrates the overbearing bureaucracy he believes hampers Portugal, burdening both economic activities and the populace.
“There was an assumption that [the journey] was a commercial activity, but it is evidently a political activity, related to your freedom of information, exemplifying how these obstacles and excessive bureaucratic processes are unclear and problematic,” he lamented.
Rui Rocha thus called on voters to cast the necessary votes for IL on May 18, allowing the party “to take decisive action to clarify legislation, remove obstacles and reduce bureaucracy.”
“We need to simplify the country, making laws clear and simple, allowing progress,” he asserted.
In a port committed to fishing, where former footballer Fábio Coentrão was also present but did not encounter Rui Rocha, the IL leader mentioned that fishing, like many other sectors in Portugal, does not adequately compensate its workers.
“These are tough, demanding activities that require significant availability, sacrifice, and even entail risks. Our proposal is for people in Portugal to receive fair compensation for their efforts,” he stated.
The IL leader advocated for those who work hard, whether in fishing or other sectors, to see better compensation results by the end of the month.
“Small businesses, small shipowners, industrialists, merchants, all need a country with less bureaucracy. We cannot have a country overly focused on law compliance,” he said, promising to “simplify the country” and “reduce taxes for those who generate wealth.”
