Rui Tavares expressed criticism over Luís Montenegro’s handling of information disclosure, accusing him of delivering information selectively and only when it suits him personally. “He could have provided this information to the Assembly of the Republic, and we could have chosen ways to share it without violating professional confidentiality. With Luís Montenegro, it will always be like this. We will be wrongly surprised at the wrong time by information we should have known much earlier,” Tavares stated to journalists in Moscavide, Loures, during a morning visit to engage with the public.
The Livre spokesperson was responding to Expresso’s report that the Prime Minister had submitted a new declaration to the Transparency Entity, listing more companies that Spinumviva worked with. This submission was made on the eve of the televised debate with the PS secretary-general, Pedro Nuno Santos.
Additional reports by Correio da Manhã and CNN Portugal revealed that two of these companies, which already had connections with the state, secured contracts worth millions of euros during Luís Montenegro’s government.
Tavares criticized the timing of this disclosure, stating it was made just 24 hours before a crucial debate, at 23:47 the night before, reflecting on Montenegro’s character, which he deemed unsuitable for the Prime Minister role. “Most Portuguese people have realized this,” Tavares noted.
The Livre spokesperson expressed disappointment that the Prime Minister seemingly sought to normalize “lowering ethical standards.”
“Livre firmly believes this is not normal. What we want to be normal in our country is to raise the bar on ethics and the accountability of the executive head,” Tavares emphasized.
In response to questions about the Wednesday night debate between the Prime Minister and the opposition leader of the AD—PSD/CDS-PP coalition—and PS’s Pedro Nuno Santos, Tavares accused Montenegro of avoiding explanations and criticized Santos for failing to present himself as an alternative.
Tavares argued that “Luís Montenegro kept that company within his family circle so he would know who its clients were, and, more importantly, the clients would know that the Prime Minister was aware. This creates a clear potential for conflicts of interest. The company could be used as an influence vehicle, consistent with other behaviors of Luís Montenegro,” he asserted.
Tavares concluded that clear governance alternatives are needed, which he regretted Pedro Nuno Santos did not offer during the debate.
