Ventura calls on Montenegro not to support the re-nomination of Albuquerque for the post of PSD Madeira

Chega President Andre Ventura today called on PSD leader Luis Montenegro to refuse to support the re-candidacy of Miguel Albuquerque for the post of leader of the regional social democratic structure in Madeira.

“If you are really serious about fighting corruption, then today, when you have a rally this evening, you have the opportunity to tell the country this: since we do not condone corruption, then I will not support it, I will not support it, I will not support Dr. Miguel Albuquerque,” Ventura said, addressing Montenegro.

The Chegi leader considered that if the PSD president “is a decent person, this is what he will do tonight,” and noted that he will “wait” to see if “Montenegro has such courage.”

“This is a cotton test,” he said, recognizing the SDP president’s expression about Chege.

Defending that this “cannot go unnoticed,” Andre Ventura questioned that in the PSD “the conversation about corruption is only for outsiders and only for conversations about others.”

“Luis Montenegro even revived Rui Rio’s old expression about the bath of ethics, but that is for others, for them it is never the same bath of ethics,” he stated, arguing that “if there really is a concern about fighting this kind of crime “Luis Montenegro has the opportunity to publicly declare that he will not support Miguel Albuquerque.”

Ventura reiterated that Chega’s “core program” is “zero tolerance for corruption in Portugal.”

PSD/Madeira President Miguel Albuquerque has officially announced his candidacy for the party’s internal elections scheduled for March 21 and assured that he does not feel weakened by the corruption charges.

Speaking at a lunch/meeting in Viana do Castelo, the PSD leader also addressed the issue of agriculture and took the opportunity to again fire at the PSD for the agreement it had made with the MHP to govern Madeira.

“Who did the PSD look to for support in Madeira when it needed to govern? This extremist PAN that wants to end agriculture. When the pots are about to lose, they join hands with anyone,” he criticized.

Andre Ventura also championed the need for “a national program to support agriculture and fisheries, which includes cutting agricultural taxes by less than half, reducing the use of agricultural diesel fuel and reducing taxes on fertilizers.”

Having proposed an immigration pact to the right on Tuesday, he returned to the topic today, insisting on a response and emphasizing that “Chega has never been against foreigners or immigrants” but denied “others what we don’t give to our own in the first place.” “

President Chegi also refused to characterize his message as racist or xenophobic.

“It is entirely reasonable that in a country whose social security is no longer able to pay decent pensions to retirees and is causing hardship in the country, everyone seeking Portugal should deduct it before starting to receive subsidies,” he said.

According to the Migration Observatory’s annual report published last December, immigrants had a social security surplus of €1,604.2 million in 2022.

According to the text entitled “Indicators of Immigrant Integration, Annual Statistical Report 2023”, the relationship between the contributions of foreigners and their colleagues to the Portuguese social security system, that is, the social benefits that some enjoyed during the reporting years of this Report, “continues to reflect a very positive financial balance “

Chegi’s leader also left the floor to the head of the list, Eduardo Teixeira, and thanked him for his “courage and willingness” to leave the PSD (the party from which he was elected) in favor of Chegi.

More than 10.8 million Portuguese are called to vote on March 10 to elect 230 members of the Assembly of the Republic.

18 political forces, 15 parties and three coalitions are competing in these elections.