“We are not going to cast a useful vote; we will vote for Livre for the second time because I am afraid of the right,” Arminda told Rui Tavares while having coffee with her husband at a market terrace.
More than just “fear of the right,” Arminda, who had her husband’s agreement, expressed “a lot of fear of Chega,” which is why they will vote for Livre after years of supporting the PCP.
“All my life I voted for the PCP and twice I cast a strategic vote, once to elect José Sócrates (PS), which I regretted greatly, and another time for António Costa (PS), but in the last legislative elections, I already voted for Livre,” she explained.
Rui Tavares, the spokesperson for Livre, in a conversation with the couple that lasted about five minutes, agreed that now more than ever, sensibility and balance are needed because “the right is at a point where it doesn’t think it needs much restraint.”
After listening attentively to Rui Tavares, Arminda took the opportunity to confess that she is puzzled by left-wing people voting for the right, which, in the opinion of the Livre spokesperson, occurs because the left talks less about freedom.
At the next table, surrounded by three friends, Pedro urged Rui Tavares to apply pressure to prevent the country from “falling into that dictatorship.”
Saying that he will vote for the first time for Livre, Pedro justified his choice by stating that it is better to “vote for the little ones” to show what they are worth than for the big parties, which are “always the same.”
“We hope to increase the number of deputies in Porto, and your vote is important for that,” commented the Livre spokesperson.
Heading towards the fruit and vegetable stands, a man walking his dog made a point of approaching him to confide that he “takes special pleasure in seeing him discuss politics.”
In the middle of the market, Rui Tavares was approached by a vegetable vendor who requested more attention to the sector, criticizing the current government’s choices.
In response, the Livre spokesperson told him that if he does not want Luís Montenegro “in Portugal’s story,” he needs to decide what alternative he wants, highlighting that Livre is ready to take on responsibilities.
