IL and Livre criticize PS and PSD list for State Council jointly with Chegoy

The parliamentary leaders of IL and Livre criticized this Wednesday that the PSD and PS agreed with Cega on a common list for the Council of State, while liberal Mariana Leitan pointed out the inconsistency and hypocrisy.

Isabel Méndez López, in addition to considering the negotiations with Chega a “concession” to the extreme right, complained that all the names proposed by the Assembly of the Republic for the advisory body of the President of the Republic are men.

This criticism from the parliamentary leaders of IL and Livre was expressed at the end of the leaders’ conference and the day after the joint list submitted by the PSD, PS and Chega for the Council of State became known.

The PS nominated its secretary general Pedro Nuno Santos and party president Carlos Cesar, while the PSD nominated Lisbon City Council President Carlos Moedas and again its number one activist Francisco Pinto Balsemana. Chega appointed Andre Ventura as its leader.

IL parliament leader Mariana Leitan lamented that, despite the fact that the various parties were able to present lists signed by ten deputies, the three political forces preferred a single list rather than two separate ones, as happened, for example, in 2022.

“It is ironic, given that we have a public position on the part of the PS that congratulates us for always voting against Cega’s initiatives, that the leader of the PS is now next to Andre Ventura,” he criticized.

On the other hand, the IL deputy noted that Andre Ventura, who “claimed to represent an anti-system party,” felt free “to negotiate with the two parties representing the system.”

Mariana Leitan acknowledged that since members of the Council of State are elected using the Hondt method, the result would be the same if there were two or three separate lists, but believed that this would be more congruent.

“More than irony, this is the hypocrisy of positions,” he noted.

The parliamentary leader of Livra, Isabel Méndez López, also considered the joint list with candidates from the PS, PSD and Chega “unbelievable.”

“We do not understand how the SDP and the PS agreed to create a joint list with far-right deputies. It seems to us that this is a concession that does not benefit democracy and with which we completely disagree,” he said, declaring. that it would be preferable to present separate lists.

On the other hand, MP Livret found it “difficult to understand” that Parliament would propose an all-male list for this body, criticizing in particular the two largest parties, the PSD and the PS.

“In 2024, it makes no sense for parties not to be able to nominate candidates to the State Council,” he said.

Bloc de Esquerda coordinator Mariana Mortagua later joined in the criticism, pointing out the PS’s inconsistency in making “the central theme of the campaign” for the Europeans “criticism of Ursula von der Leyen for her contacts and approaches.” to the far right” and “agreements that include the far right must be found at the earliest opportunity.”

Speaking in parliament, Mortagua found the single list agreement “incomprehensible” and said that for the parties involved in this agreement with Chega, “barriers with the far right only matter (…) when something is in question. a game”. and “if there is nothing at stake, they are theater and mean nothing.”

He stated that the party will not vote for this joint list, and added: “I wonder how the PS deputies can do this. What worries me at the moment is that we take parties seriously when they say they will put up barriers (…) and then when we talk about government institutions they always end up finding an agreement , which may include the far right.”

The election of the five members who will be appointed by the Assembly of the Republic to the Council of State, the political advisory body of the President of the Republic, is scheduled for this afternoon in Parliament, with the counting to be carried out using the Hondt method. .