André Ventura said this Monday that Chega is the first party in almost 40 years to “challenge” the PS and PSD. In an interview with CMTVPresident Chegi stated that “people are fed up with the caste that dominates Portuguese politics” and that he is “ready to govern and win.”
For Ventura, victory is possible, although unlikely. “If you ask me whether there is a possibility of Chegi winning, I will say that it is obvious that there is no. But in 50 years, no one except the PS and SDP has won. I think this is the first time, since 1987 at least, that there is a party that challenges the power of these two,” he stressed.
Andre Ventura: “We are ready to win”
Polls point to Cega in third place, but Andre Ventura is confident of an even better scenario. “This is possible. We are ready to win,” he emphasized.
The Chegi leader promised, as the first measure to be taken if Chegi wins, to equate the bonus allocated to the PS with that of other security forces who have been protesting for a month and demanding better working conditions and salaries.
Coalition with SDP
Regarding the right-wing coalition, Ventura highlighted the “irresponsibility” of Luis Montenegro, who showed no interest in forming alliances with Chega.
Faced with sharp criticism from the Social Democrat, the leader of Chegi said that he did not intend to “sell votes” and called the SDP “the crutch of the PS.”
The promise of an alternative
“If you give us the opportunity, you will see the country get back on track,” he said, ensuring he is the alternative the country needs.
Ventura identified the fight against corruption, economic growth and improving the living conditions of the Portuguese as the main directions of the party’s activities.
CMTV interviewed party leaders
The first to be interviewed was Paulo Raimundo of the PCP, who, among other proposals, defended on Monday reduction in fees and commissions charged by banks.
Rui Tavares of Livre explained that it would be “better for Portugal to have a plurality on the left flank”.
Pedro Nuno Santos of the PS was adamant that “it is bad for democracy when the PS and PSD share the same governance.”
Ines Sousa Real attacked Mariana Mortagua and criticized the opposition from her own party’s former deputy Andre Silva.
Mariana Mortagua said the wealth tax is a “matter of fairness” and that the socialist government’s balance sheet is “negative.”
Liberal Initiative President Rui Rocha spoke about the privatization of TAP, interest in the Infrastructure portfolio and the desire to overthrow socialism.
The date for the interview with Luis Montenegro (Democratic Alliance) has not yet been determined.