In this interview with ‘Facto Político’, Rui Rocha reveals that he did not sign up for the political movement created by Cotrim Figueiredo after his third-place finish in the presidential elections, but guarantees that the initiative “adds to the reformists and has no ambition to overlap with the Liberal Initiative”. Listen to the programme by journalist Diogo Teixeira Pereira here via podcast.
Rui Rocha did not join Cotrim's movement, but says the former leader “has no ambition to overlap with the IL”
Saturday, 14 March 2026RSS
Context & Explainers
- Leader: Mariana Leitão (since July 2025)
- Ideology: Classical liberalism, economic libertarianism
Founded in 2017, the Liberal Initiative advocates for reduced state intervention, tax simplification, labor market liberalization, and secular liberalism under the motto "Less State, More Freedom". The party gained its first parliamentary seat in 2019 and now holds 9 seats. Mariana Leitão, 42, became the party's first female leader in July 2025 after Rui Rocha resigned following disappointing 2025 election results. Leitão previously served as parliamentary leader and has been announced as the party's candidate for the 2026 presidential election. The party explicitly rejects alliances with both far-left and far-right parties, positioning itself as the "only alternative" that won't negotiate with extremes.
