Did Cotrim say he would support Ventura in a second round? Here are the presidential candidate’s statements in full

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Did Cotrim say he would support Ventura in a second round? Here are the presidential candidate’s statements in full

It was one of the topics that marked the day of the campaign. João Cotrim de Figueiredo acknowledged on Monday that he had been “unclear” in his remarks about a possible endorsement in a second round of the presidential election, after admitting that he did not rule out supporting any candidate.

Hours after saying he “did not rule out any hypothesis” of offering support in a second round, the presidential candidate clarified that he does not commit to anyone and emphasised that he does not want André Ventura as President of the Republic. But, after all: did Cotrim say he supported Ventura in a second round?

Cotrim de Figueiredo’s original statements appear in the first two minutes of the video above.

Context & Explainers

2026 Presidential Candidate
Party: Liberal Initiative (IL) Iniciativa Liberal
Businessman from Lisbon
Economic Liberalism, reduced state intervention, pro-Europe

João Fernando Cotrim de Figueiredo (born June 24, 1961, in Lisbon) is a businessman and liberal politician running for Portugal's presidency in the January 18, 2026 election. He grew up in Lisbon, studied Economics at the London School of Economics and earned an MBA from NOVA University Lisbon. He held executive positions at Compal, Nutricafés, Privado Holding, and TVI, and served as president of Turismo de Portugal (2013-2016), overseeing tourism industry growth during his tenure. He was elected as the Liberal Initiative's first parliamentary deputy in October 2019, led the party (2019-2023) while it grew from 1 to 8 seats with 5% of votes in 2022, and was elected European Parliament member in 2024. He announced his presidential candidacy in August 2025, backed by the Liberal Initiative.

Political Philosophy:

Cotrim de Figueiredo champions liberal economics—tax reduction, labour market liberalization, and welfare reform—alongside cultural and secular liberalism. His campaign emphasizes "Culture, Knowledge and Growth," positioning himself as representing younger voters alienated by traditional candidates, and explicitly states he expects a "second-round" runoff result. He advocates for a future-prepared Portugal distinct from current political offerings.

André Ventura, born January 15, 1983, is a lawyer, academic, and Portugal's most prominent far-right leader. He founded Chega ("Enough") in 2019 after his PSD mayoral campaign attacked the Romani community. Chega surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest party and making Ventura Leader of the Opposition.

His platform emphasizes immigration restrictions, law-and-order policies, constitutional reform, and contains inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric that has triggered multiple discrimination convictions and investigations. Politically classified as far-right by international media, Ventura cultivates alliances with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen and Santiago Abascal.

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