The president of the Liberal Initiative emphasizes the necessity for state reform, particularly within the public sector, identifying it as a primary focus for the party in the upcoming State Budget discussions set for October.
In an interview with CNN, Mariana Leitão emphasizes the need for “a thorough evaluation of public administration” and questions “what evaluation is conducted” for these workers, noting an increase of one hundred thousand employees “in round numbers” over the past decade.
“Where do people see the improvement in public services? Where do people feel that this increase of one hundred thousand public employees has brought a benefit to the service they receive when they approach any public service?” asks the liberal.
Mariana Leitão states that “in any sector outside the public sector, people are evaluated” for their work, and if they show good results, they are promoted; otherwise, they are laid off.
“We cannot have first-class and second-class Portuguese citizens”, points out the IL president.
“We cannot continue to allow that when there is gross incompetence from anyone in the public function, there are no consequences for it”, she concludes.
The second priority outlined by the IL president is reducing taxes on labor. For Mariana Leitão, the current situation is “dire” for the Portuguese, leaving the “middle class crushed”.
“And in return, public services remain worse and unresponsive”, she states, adding that people pay twice to gain access, for instance, to health and education, by paying their taxes and still needing to resort to private services.
When asked about the influence IL will have on State Budget negotiations (or the lack thereof, considering the government does not rely on the liberals to approve the document), Mariana Leitão states that the party “holds the weight that the Portuguese gave us”.
The liberal assures that IL will not stop defending its ideas and what it believes is best for the country and intends to continue opposing the government on measures it disagrees with.
Coalitions with PSD in local government are not contradictory? “They are distinct realities”
Previously, during the party’s political reentré, Mariana Leitão criticized the actions of the Executive, pointing out failures in fire management, housing, and the inability to implement structural reforms.
The president of the Liberal Initiative (IL) announced today that a new proposal would be submitted on Monday for the government to reject ‘chat control’, a measure she claims violates freedom of expression in Portugal.
Lusa | 23:24 – 30/08/2025
Despite the criticisms, which are not uncommon, the Liberal Initiative is in more than two dozen coalitions with the PSD at the municipal level nationwide.
Confronted with this, the IL president responds that “they are distinct realities” and the coalition “does not prevent us from continuing to defend our policies.”
Mariana Leitão also clarified that the agreements made in various municipalities include a “portfolio of commitments with concrete measures essential for the lives of people living in those municipalities” from the IL’s perspective.
Regarding a possible agreement with Chega after the local elections, Mariana Leitão does not directly respond if it’s a possibility. She emphasizes that what’s important for the party is the implementation of the measures they consider crucial for those municipalities.
Cotrim Figueiredo is going to “have an extraordinary result”
In conclusion, the liberal also comments on João Cotrim de Figueiredo’s candidacy (a former leader of the Liberal Initiative) for the Presidency of the Republic.
“He has all the conditions for an extraordinary result. And my belief is that he will indeed achieve a result far above what he himself, perhaps, expects”, she asserts.
João Cotrim de Figueiredo announced his candidacy for the presidential elections, scheduled for January 2026. He stated that he wants his candidacy to be “more inclusive” and open “to everyone”.
Maria Gouveia with Lusa | 20:38 – 13/08/2025
