“There is only one solution: Chega is going to surpass PSD”. This is how André Ventura, chairman of Chega, responded to Social Democratic leader Luís Montenegro, who this Friday rejected that the PSD can make government appointments or have the support of “racist or xenophobic, opportunist or populist politicians or politicians” in an interview with CNN Portugal.
Faced with these statements, Ventura says that Montenegro is “responding negatively to the call of the President of the Republic”, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who wants to know whether “it is available to be an alternative or not” to the socialist government . by Antonio Costa.
“By saying that he does not want any political support, and if he wants to exclude one of the parties, but especially the one that gives a majority, which is Chega, he is saying that he does not want to be a party.” alternatively he is not available for that either,” said André Ventura in statements to CNN Portugal.
Stating that “the polls are what they are” and that “the numbers show what they show”, the leader of Chega considered “that Luís Montenegro says more than with whom, says he does not want to be an alternative to the PS “.
“On our part, if that is the interpretation, there is only one solution, and that is what I think will happen by the end of the year or in the first half of next year, which is for Chega to overtake PSD,” he underlined.
Ventura also says, “If this is the only path left for us, then it is the path we are going to take to create the alternative that the president has been asking for”.
“There is an alternative and I am the alternative, with my party, the PSD,” says Montenegro
Ventura’s response to Montenegro’s statements in the excerpt from Friday’s interview, already available on CNN Portugal’s website, in which the social democrat was challenged by journalist Maria João Avillez to clarify relations with the Chega party.
“I want to guarantee the Portuguese one thing: we will not have racist policies or politicians in government, nor xenophobes, nor opportunists, nor populists. Or political support, if you like,” the PSD president assured.
Luís Montenegro also added that he will not have the political support of those who have “demagogic populist views”: “And above all, I don’t want immaturity or irresponsibility in my government,” he added.
In this excerpt, the Chairman of the Social Democrats reiterated that he understands – contrary to what the President of the Republic has said – that the PSD is already an alternative to the PS government.
“There is an alternative and I am the alternative, with my party, the PSD. This is so clear that even the argument that is being used and that it is worth what it is worth, that of the polls, implies precisely that this alternative exists” , he said. .
This Tuesday Luís Montenegro will have an audience with Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, after a week of public disagreement over whether the PSD is now an alternative to the government.
The President of the Republic again ruled out the possibility of dissolution at the beginning of the week, citing the situation and the lack of “an obvious alternative in political terms”, and Luís Montenegro indirectly responded to Marcelo two days later Rebelo de Sousa, who had assured that he was not in the pocket of either the government or the opposition.
“The PSD and its leader are not in anyone’s pocket, they have complete independence in their political action and the PSD assures the country, the Portuguese and the President of the Republic that it is an alternative to the PS government and that we are ready to take all the consequences of an alternative when it is expedient,” Montenegro said on Wednesday.
A day later, the head of state promised to warn if one day he changes his position on the issue of the political alternative and the break of the legislature, faced with the statement of the PSD president that he is ready to form a government to be.
“If I have to say another position of the president on this issue, I will say (…) There are many opinions. The position of the president, who has to decide, is the president”, Marcelo added.
With Lusa
Source: DN
