Notably addressing the X National Convention of Iniciativa Liberal (IL) in Alcobaça, Leiria, Mariana Leitão declared that the party is currently not in a position to contribute to a government solution and should instead position itself as the “liberal conscience” of the political system.
“Today, stagnation begins to change its sign. The chaos on the right is already hiding behind responsibility to keep everything the same. Make no mistake: Chega is nothing more than a new socialism on the right. They do not defend our sovereignty as individuals. They do not defend any reform for Portugal. They are collectivists, statists, and paternalists,” she argued.
The sole candidate for the IL leadership, Mariana Leitão, expressed her hope that the party’s national convention would demonstrate that it is ready to be “an alternative to stagnation” and authoritarianism, stressing the need to combat Chega.
Leitão devoted a significant portion of her speech to criticizing Chega, accusing it of needing the state “as much as the others,” but since “the economy does not grow, they want the same supports, the same dependency on subsidies, and the same paternalism, but only for their own.”
“In politics, little distinguishes them from the mismanagement that brought us here. And it’s only a matter of time until everyone understands this,” she asserted.
Regarding the PSD/CDS-PP Government, she remarked that “they think talking about reforms and inventing a ministry is enough to please the liberals.”
“What I propose to you today is a reinvigorated Liberal Initiative: once again, this is the moment to affirm our ideas, without concessions. And we shall see if this government has the courage to take the necessary steps. They will not make any mistake without our warning,” she stated.
With a new cycle that begins with municipal elections, Mariana Leitão promised a new impetus “within the house,” with “a more cohesive, more ideological, more convinced Liberal Initiative.”
“To be even clearer: let us be radical—yes, radical—in what truly matters,” she emphasized, highlighting the importance of individual responsibility and autonomy.
For Mariana Leitão, liberals must be “radical in the certainty that the state is not a parent to anyone nor the boss of all” and “radical, above all, in defending the freedom to live without fear of the state, without fear of the majority, without fear of any government trend.”
The sole candidate for the liberals’ leadership addressed the October 12 municipal elections, stressing their importance because “it is in the municipalities that a liberal management can prove to make a difference” and identifying the party’s mayors as “agents of change.”
“In coalition or alone, our principles do not decline. On the contrary: they assert themselves. Because liberal demand never enters silently—it enters to change,” she declared.
Before Mariana Leitão, Mário Amorim Lopes, proposed as vice-president of the party’s new direction, defended the liberalism in practice in Argentina and its president, Javier Milei.
“Milei is merely the executor of our ideas, liberal ideas, demonstrating their success,” he argued, claiming that “they reduce poverty” and “generate prosperity.”
“These ideas have a face in Portugal, the IL,” he stated, asserting that only the liberals offer hope, as an alternative to “resentment and rancor.”
Iniciativa Liberal holds its X National Convention today with 985 registered members, who are expected to elect Mariana Leitão as the next party leader, succeeding Rui Rocha, who has held the position since 2023.
