“Without much enthusiasm,” the president of Iniciativa Liberal will vote for António José Seguro, she told SIC Notícias. The party will not support either of the two candidates in the race for Belém.
Mariana Leitão will vote for Seguro, but IL does not endorse either candidate
Thursday, 22 January 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.
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Other news coverage of this topic
- IL will not back anyone, but Leitão will vote for Seguro11:23pm, 22 Jan 2026 • Observador
- Mariana Leitão to vote for Seguro but IL remains neutral9:53pm, 22 Jan 2026 • RTP Notícias
- Mariana Leitão votes for Seguro but IL remains neutral9:53pm, 22 Jan 2026 • RTP Notícias
- Mariana Leitão says she will vote for Seguro 'without much enthusiasm', but IL will not support any candidate9:35pm, 22 Jan 2026 • Correio da Manhã
- Mariana Leitão announces that the Liberal Initiative will not support anyone in the second round, but will vote for Seguro9:32pm, 22 Jan 2026 • Diário de Notícias
- Iniciativa Liberal takes no position; Mariana Leitão votes for Seguro9:30pm, 22 Jan 2026 • Expresso
