Iniciativa Liberal (IL) will officially remain neutral in the presidential run-off, but its president, Mariana Leitão, said she will personally vote for António José Seguro “without much enthusiasm.” Leitão rejected the populist appeal of André Ventura while also saying IL cannot back a candidate who seeks to leave the status quo unchanged. The story highlights a tension between the party’s institutional neutrality and individual leadership choices — amplified by a note that one candidate drew three times the party’s votes and Cotrim’s campaign director’s remark that “a political camp needs leadership,” suggesting internal strategic concerns about direction and influence.