Rui Tavares expressed his opinion during a meeting with the Independent Doctors’ Union in Lisbon, stating, “There is no sense, not even from a political strategy perspective, in making a call for tactical voting more than a month before the elections. By the time the elections arrive, nobody will heed this call for tactical voting, and it will become meaningless to the public.”
The Livre party leader responded to recent comments made by Pedro Nuno Santos on Tuesday night, who urged supporters not to scatter their votes among leftist parties, arguing that only a PS victory provides an alternative to the AD coalition of PSD/CDS-PP.
Tavares highlighted, “The reality is quite strong, and currently, the PSD does not assure reciprocity to the PS in terms of approving a government, and similarly, the PS does not offer this reciprocity either.”
In his view, “The entire discussion about who comes first with just one more deputy between PS and PSD is pointless since voters elect deputies who make up the parliament.”
“Even if the PS were to gain one vote more than the PSD, should the Liberal Initiative side with AD, they would reject a PS government program, making it impossible for the PS to govern. Are you telling me sincerely that at this stage in his career, as the PS secretary-general, Pedro Nuno Santos does not wish to become prime minister? And does not want to count on the votes of the broader left, which according to polls, have more votes than AD and IL, and, therefore, more seats as well?” he questioned.
When asked if he has lost hope in a “historic compromise” among the left in the upcoming elections, which he recently called for, Tavares responded by saying he speaks to the voters and believes that “once we persuade the voters, the politicians will follow.”
“And when politicians see the polls, when they witness the reality within the parliament, if they wish to change the country or govern, then they must heed the will of the people. (…) I don’t need to beg anyone for anything or insist on anything with anyone, because the voters themselves will deliver this message,” he asserted.
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