Leader of the Liberal Initiative says that André Ventura creates “alternative realities” and that “there was never a proposal” from Montenegro
The president of the Liberal Initiative (IL), Rui Rocha, addressed, this Saturday, in an interview with SIC Notícias, the controversy surrounding the alleged “secret meetings” between Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and the leaders of Chega, André Ventura, and IL.
Rui Rocha revealed that there were, in total, four meetings between the Government and IL regarding the State Budget (OE) for 2025, about which “there was no secrecy”, only “reserve”.
The president of IL accuses André Ventura of lying and assures that the leader of Chega “never had a proposal from the prime minister” within the scope of the OE.
“Saying that there was a proposed agreement is abusive. (…) André Ventura systematically takes data and transforms it into an alternative reality”, says Rui Rocha.
“We will not vote in favor”
Regarding IL’s intention to vote in the OE, Rui Rocha left only one guarantee: the party will not vote in favor of the document presented this week by the Government. Voting against “is a possibility”, he admitted.
“With regard to a set of measures that we presented to the Government, they do not satisfy IL, but they are already partly reflected in this Budget”, said Rui Rocha.
“Extremely unfortunate intervention by the Prime Minister”
At the end of the interview, Rui Rocha also addressed Luís Montenegro’s statements regarding the “questions blown” into the journalists’ headphones, words that, according to the IL president, represented an “extremely unfortunate intervention by the prime minister”, in an “absolutely reprehensible” act
“Freedom of the press, freedom of expression and journalistic freedom must be preserved above all,” he concluded.
