IL leader against “closing Europe as a fortress” to immigration

The leader of the Liberal Initiative (LI) in the European Parliament spoke out this Sunday against “closing Europe as a fortress”, despite believing that the migration problem should be solved and not be “an exclusive issue for the far right”.

“It is obvious that we need to solve the problem of migration flows. We are not ignoring these problems, and we must confront them rather than leaving this issue solely to the far right. But closing Europe as a fortress is the opposite of what the Liberal Initiative advocates.” “Joao Cotrim Figueiredo told Lusa during an election rally near Carcavelos beach in Cascais.

IL’s candidate for the June 9 European elections was asked about statements made by Cega President Andre Ventura at a convention of the far-right Spanish party Vox in Madrid, in which he called for a European Union with “strong borders” and without “strong borders.” massive influx of Islamic and Muslim immigrants” and said he was convinced he would become Portugal’s next prime minister.

“We want strong borders in Portugal, Spain and throughout Europe. Because Europe is ours,” Ventura said at a convention that brings together leaders of the European and American radical right this Sunday in the Spanish capital, as part of the campaign for elections to the European Parliament.

João Cotrim Figueiredo argued that this vision is “completely the opposite” of what IL believes the European space should be.

“Our understanding is simple, and it belongs not only to us, but also to the Portuguese people, who, expressing their gratitude to Europe, say that they like Europe. It has always been a space of peace, freedom, democracy and prosperity, and this happened because it was integrated, because it gave birth to these four freedoms of movement of people, goods, services and capital, which brought prosperity,” explained the IL candidate.

João Cotrim Figueiredo also believes that “it is openness that has made Europe great, useful and loved by people.”

Also present at the election initiative, which consisted of a rally and lunch, the president of the Liberal Initiative, Rui Rocha, commented on the statements of Andre Ventura, namely when the leader of Chegi said that he was convinced that he would become the next prime minister. Portugal.

“The Portuguese have not yet given him the confidence that he can make such a speech, so I trust in the prudence and the right decision of the Portuguese in the upcoming elections, and we will be here to present our positions, our measures, our proposals. telling the Portuguese that the way is different,” said Rui Rocha.

The IL President emphasized that this path “does not involve fear, resentment and the opposition of the Portuguese to the Portuguese,” but rather “changing the country in the sense that it needs economic prosperity, higher wages, living conditions for young people.”

At the end of the street, on the outskirts between Oeiras and Carcavelos, the leader of the Liberal Initiative in the European Parliament said that the reaction of the population “has been excellent” and that IL has “much greater opportunities for mobilization compared to the last elections.”

The candidate said that European Parliament elections are “particularly difficult to plan due to the nature of the issues and the fact that there are always more abstentions.”

“We’ll try it this year [a abstenção] not so high, and try to ensure that there are fewer abstentions here too, as happened in the last legislative elections, he said, stressing that IL retains the original goal of electing an MEP.