The VII Convention of the Liberal Initiative (IL) ended this Sunday in Lisbon with the victory of Rui Rocha, who vowed to defeat the “two-party system” and take to the streets in the fight against constitutional reform, in a long, tense and divided meeting .
In the victory speech for IL’s internal elections, Rui Rocha guaranteed that the party will “take up its responsibilities” and “lead the opposition”, as he believes it has done so far: “The government can cling to power, but the PS government is completely exhausted, it is politically dead and we were the ones who declared it with the motion of censure”.
The deputy who defeated Carla Castro and José Cardoso in the race for the leadership of the Liberals, with the support of the former president, João Cotrim Figueiredo, decreed the political death of the socialist government of António Costa and reiterated its goal of breaking the electoral bar of the party from 4.9 percent achieved in the last legislature to 15%.
The new leader of the Liberals also addressed PSD President Luís Montenegro directly, asking him which side he will be on in the constitutional review, whether “he will be on the side of freedom or on the side of those who want to take away freedom”. of the Portuguese”, who criticized lockdowns without the scrutiny of parliament or the courts.
A few moments before the hall erupted in a festive and apotheotic atmosphere to the sound of “People are in charge”, by Patti Smith, Rui Rocha in fact pledged to fight in the streets in February against these objectives which he attributes to the constitutional review that “PSD and PS are ready to cook.”
At the end of a very tense meeting, Rui Rocha promised a “very rapid” transformation in the party, saying he wanted to prepare it for “the battles” he wants to fight in the country.
Despite the exchange of accusations and the tense atmosphere, Rui Rocha and Carla Castro shook hands and the deputy assured today that she will not oppose the new president, with whom she said she will cooperate, given that the party convention leaves. stronger” and “It won’t be the same again.”
For the first time in its history that more than one list was leading, the new president of the Liberals received 51.7% of the votes of registered members, while Carla Castro’s list had 44% of the vote and from Jose Cardoso 4.3%.
Rui Rocha, who represented “newfound continuity” as defined by his “vice,” deputy Bernardo Blanco, on Saturday night, had to face a convention that, from Carla Castro’s speech on the first day, gave Power signs don’t put you in charge.
The delegate brought up the convention in her address and, as work was well advanced, her vice presidential candidate, Paulo Carmona, spoke of a “smell of change” that would create a “ping pong” between candidates and raise expectations that it dispute was closed.
During the convention, the main criticism of Rui Rocha was that he had accepted a “dynastic succession” type solution, given the quick support of Cotrim Figueiredo, which led the leader Rafael Corte Real to consider that even if he was victorious, will always has to explain why he agreed to be an IL “Paulo Raimundo”, in reference to the general secretary of the PCP.
Carla Castro, on the other hand, mainly heard criticism that she had not resigned from the executive committee that she began attacking as a candidate for leadership.
To the accusation of “lack of masculinity” by Cotrim Figueiredo against Carla Castro, which unfolded in television and radio interviews at the end of the evening, the candidate replied today that although she “disagrees” with this words, preferred to focus on the future of IL.
The sharp tone typical of social networks, where the party is known for its innovative and effective presence, seems to have carried over to the convention, where there were frequent boos and booings and was epitomized on Saturday night by a young militant: “No, I don’t know if I’m angry enough to enter this pulpit,” she said.
The liberal magna meeting, which took place in the same Lisbon convention center as the December 2021 convention, but this time in the largest hall in that infrastructure, also contrasted with this other conclave because of its closing tone.
Few spoke for the country and against the government, although “socialism” was cited as a generic opponent in the interventions, with Cotrim Figueiredo’s farewell speech on Saturday most critical of António Costa’s executive, who was also targeted by the speech presentation of movement by Rui Rocha.
The work organization model, where even the list of the Judiciary Council – a body whose mission is to ensure legality, usually defined as a ‘court’ of the parties – was the subject of extensive discussion and multiple interventions, also favored the debate very focused on regulations and lists and little on the political message and the country.
The right party’s relations, namely with PSD and Chega, were also relatively absent from the discussion, as Rui Rocha refused any agreement with the political force led by André Ventura during the campaign.
The convention had unusual moments on both days, many hours late, such as during the votes on the sectoral motions, with arms in the air, the closing of the hall doors, which meant the ‘evacuation’ of the bar and the use of specific bathrooms.
In his farewell speech on Saturday, Cotrim Figueiredo was moved when he spoke of the honor of leading the Liberals and warned that the Prime Minister, António Costa, would have to get used to being annoyed by the party, defending that the IL “does the most intelligent and effective opposition”.
This was the intervention that António Costa heard the most about, who recently referred to the Liberals as “squeaky cupcakes”, referring to some of the things that have drawn the government lately and ironically that Fernando Medina would be a “great successor” from António Costa of the PS, to accuse him of “never knowing anything”.
At the end of the convention, Cotrim Figueiredo said that “without false modesty” the party is “better delivered” to Rui Rocha then into his own hands and, about future internal divisions in IL, replied that the people who have worked with him have all shown that “they are democrats”.
Source: DN
