(2022)
André Ventura and João Cotrim de Figueiredo responded to Marques Mendes and stated that they had nothing to hide about their income – in a debate marked by divergences, from the nationality law to Ukraine, including Trump.
In a face to face broadcast by , Andre Ventura e João Cotrim de Figueiredo were asked to respond to the so that they could also disclose their former clients, as the former PSD leader did.
If Chega’s leader claimed not to have “Nothing to declare”having already done so successively as a deputy, the liberal MEP referred to the book “Because I’m Liberal” published just over a month ago, which tells his story, saying “nothing to hide”.
Still, despite Marques Mendes having released a list of his company’s 22 clients, which includes consultancy, commentary and participation in conferences, his two opponents in the January 18 elections were not enlightened.
“When the activity is consultancy, I would like to be who” the clients aresaid Cotrim de Figueiredo, in an allusion to the work of the candidate supported by the Government parties as an external consultant, while Ventura insisted that Mendes “he is the least transparent candidate of all”.
André Ventura and Cotrim de Figueiredo agreed only on this issue, raised at the beginning of the debate. Then came the disagreements.
The Nationality Law, vetoed this Friday by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa following the (TC), changed the tone of the debate, with the candidate supported by the Liberal Initiative assuming that he would not insist on changing the penal code.
“At this point, an argument with the TC is to postpone the entry into operation of this law and this is a disfavor to the control of migration policy that we actually need to have. Here, one of two: either we decide to continue a tantrum with the TC or we use the content of the TC’s rulings to correct the law so that it can be approved”, he explained.
Already the leader of Chega was intransigent in defending the revision of the penal codeguaranteeing that he will not give up on ensuring that “whoever commits crimes in Portugal is expelled”.
“We are going to have principles respected and we are not going to have foreigners’ laws. That’s what Chega is for”, noted Cotrim Figueiredo, assuming himself as the candidate who “wants to resolve the issues”.
Ventura then recalled past statements from his opponent, and accused the former IL leader of having made “the biggest mistake” of his life by going to the European Parliament “to receive a golden pension”.
“I have such a golden retirement that I decided to run for President of the Republic. I really came into politics to make money”, replied Cotrim Figueiredo, ironically.
O liberal denied having fired Manuela Moura Guedes from TVI at the request of José Sócratesafter having accused Ventura of having voted for the former prime minister.
They also differed on Ukrainealthough both agree not to send national troops to the country, and about Donald Trumpwith Ventura not seeing any attempt at interference by the North American president in European politics and his opponent thinking otherwise.
“João is the candidate of Príncipe Real and I am the candidate of the royal country”summarized the leader of Chega, after his opponent justified the transfer of votes from young people to his candidacy with the fact that he presented concrete solutions unlike Ventura, who, in his words, only makes “noise”.
In the debate, André Ventura said that he had already asked for the suspension of his deputy’s mandate and Cotrim Figueiredo, MEP, stated that he only did not do so because the idea of suspension of mandate in the European Parliament does not exist.
